As the Deputy will appreciate, the Garda Commissioner is responsible for the distribution of resources, including personnel, among the various Garda Divisions and I, as Minister, have no direct role in the matter. Garda management keeps this distribution of resources under continual review in the context of crime trends and policing priorities so as to ensure that the optimum use is made of these resources.
I am informed by the Garda Commissioner that the cost of lump sum retirement gratuity payments to members of An Garda Síochána for each year since 2002 to 2016 and up to 31 May 2017, was as set out in the table below. I am further informed that details of the cost of retirement gratuity payments prior to 2002 are not readily available and would necessitate a disproportionate expenditure of Garda time and resources to collate.
Garda Retirement Gratuity Payments 2002 - 2017
Year
|
Expenditure
|
2002
|
€27,344,721
|
2003
|
€29,154,740
|
2004
|
€34,827,513
|
2005
|
€38,115,683
|
2006
|
€29,466,652
|
2007
|
€20,833,552
|
2008
|
€27,089,234
|
2009
|
€76,429,028
|
2010
|
€34,204,702
|
2011
|
€51,711,763
|
2012
|
€46,177,496
|
2013
|
€29,986,897
|
2014
|
€25,909,669
|
2015
|
€24,193,777
|
2016
|
€24,284,856
|
Jan to May 2017
|
€8,237,698
|