Garda levels look set to fall below 13 thousand as management examine ways of reducing the force by over a thousand officers due to a 35 million euro payroll cut.
The Justice Department has slashed the Garda Commissioner’s budget which has lead senior officers to reportedly warn that they can no longer pay all 13 thousand 400 serving Gardaí and maintain existing policing levels.
Its understood Martin Callinan is now considering offering career breaks and officers on secondment to other investigative departments in order to cut numbers.
The move has been criticised by the GRA.
