I propose to take Questions Nos. 451 and 452 together.
The number of staff who retired from my Department and from agencies under the auspices of my Department in each year since 1 January 2009 up to 26th June 2012 is set out in Table 1. For the most part the cost of lump sum gratuity payments in respect of staff who retire from my Department and from agencies in the Justice Sector are paid from the Superannuation and Allowances Vote of the Office of the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (Vote 12). However, the most significant exception to this is in relation to lump sum gratuities to members of An Garda Síochána which are paid from the Garda Vote. Details of the number of retirements and the cost of lump sum gratuity payments in respect of members of An Garda Síochána for each year since 2009 are set out in Table 2.
Table 1
Department of Justice and Equality
|
Number of retirements
|
2009
|
56
|
2010
|
40
|
2011
|
32
|
2012
|
55
|
|
|
Irish Prison Service (discipline grades)
|
|
2009
|
193
|
2010
|
208
|
2011
|
95
|
2012
|
69
|
|
|
Courts Service
|
|
2009
|
47
|
2010
|
32
|
2011
|
29
|
2012
|
55
|
|
|
Legal Aid Board
|
|
2009
|
5
|
2010
|
7
|
2011
|
4
|
2012
|
7
|
|
|
National Disability Authority
|
|
2009
|
1
|
2010
|
0
|
2011
|
2
|
2012
|
1
|
|
|
Property Registration Authority
|
|
2009
|
32
|
2010
|
19
|
2011
|
12
|
2012
|
12
|
|
|
Garda Civilian
|
|
2009
|
54
|
2010
|
32
|
2011
|
43
|
2012
|
35
|
Table 2
An Garda Síochána
|
Number of retirements
|
Gratuity payments
|
2009
|
722
|
€76.4 million
|
2010
|
363
|
€34.2 million
|
2011
|
438
|
€51.7 million
|
2012 (to end May)
|
286
|
€33.1 million
|
It should be noted that the amount of gratuity payments may not relate directly to retirements in that particular year in all cases as members who retire towards the end of one year may not be paid their gratuity until the beginning of the following year.