More than 220 gardaí in Wicklow-Wexford division due to retire by 2028
The Wicklow PeopleA total of 225 gardaí are scheduled to retire in the Wicklow-Wexford Garda Division over the next four years.
According to figures obtained by Wicklow-Wexford Fianna Fáil TD Malcom Byrne a cumulative 1,878 gardaí will become eligible to retire by 2028, nationally.
Reacting to the data, Deputy Byrne expressed the importance of maintaining the current number of officers on patrol.
“I have been regularly raising the issue of adequate garda numbers for our counties, including with the chief superintendent and with the minister.”
“It is imperative that where gardai retire that a plan to ensure they are replaced is put in place. I support allowing gardai to work longer if they so wish but we need to prepare for those 225 retirements to ensure we have adequate policing along the east coast.”
It is common practice for some gardaí to work beyond the point at which they become eligible for retirement and, for some gardaí, even beyond the age of mandatory retirement.
The Garda Commissioner may, with the consent of the Justice Minister, extend the age of retirement of a Garda member beyond 62, where this is in the interests of the efficiency of the force. This allows any Garda member to make an application to the commissioner, through their line management, seeking an extension of their service.
The figures show the minister has already agreed to several such requests allowing Garda members to continue to serve beyond the age of 62.
A report from An Garda Siochana showed that at the end of 2024 there were 617 gardaí working in the Wicklow-Wexford division. Some 282 of these Garda members were assigned to Wicklow stations.
This was down 11pc on 2015 numbers, but a further report outlined that by the end of January this year Garda members in the full division had fallen to 612. As of January 31, 279 gardaí were assigned to Wicklow stations.