Garda retirement age should change, says McEntee as recruitment age limit increased

Vivienne Clarke

Minister for Justice Helen McEntee has said that nothing is off the table when it comes to the recruitment and retention of gardaí.

Her comments come as the age limit for applying to the gardaí was raised to 50.

Ms McEntee also told RTÉ radio's Morning Ireland that the current garda retirement age of 60 should be higher.

“I want to change it, and I'm in discussions with the Minister for Public Expenditure. We haven't reached a conclusion, but that is where I hope to get.”

The age limit change for recruits will come with challenges, Ms McEntee acknowledged, accepting that it takes time to train gardaí and it can take up to two years for them to be deemed proficient.

“Everybody will still have to do a fitness test,” she said.

“Our population is growing, we need to see that the garda workforce grows with it. Nothing is off the table to support the gardaí and the work they are doing. It’s my job to support them in every way that we can.”

On Newstalk’s Pat Kenny show, Garda Representative Association (GRA) president Brendan O’Connor said he did not think the change in the age limit would have a significant impact on garda numbers.

However, he acknowledged that extending the age limit could mean that people with specific skills could be of benefit to the force.

People in their 40s would likely already have families and mortgages, so it would not be appealing for them to join the force at entry level, he said.

He said the move was not likely to be a solution to the current recruitment difficulties, adding it would be more beneficial to make the job more pleasant and appealing, “to hold on to the people we have and in training, to give more time to the organisation”.