Garda headquarters is facing a race against time to increase the size of the force as it faces into a “ticking time-bomb” of retirements.There are concerns in the Garda that the policing service, including responding to 999 calls and investigating crime, will need to be prioritised, and some of it scaled back.According to new projections prepared by the Garda for the Policing and Community Safety Authority (PCSA), the number of Garda members who must retire on age grounds, will total almost 1,700 over the next decade; rising modestly at first before a significant and sustained increase.Some 307 Garda members will reach the compulsory retirement age of 62 over the next five years, increasing to 1,357 in the following five years – 2031 to 2035. This year and next year, for example, a combined 94 Garda members will reach the compulsory retirement age. But that will increase in the following years and will be as high as 727 in 2034 and 2035 combined.However, the retirement rates will, in reality, increase much sooner than the projections suggest. This is because the projections do not factor in those gardaí who will choose to retire early. They can retire on a full pension after 30 years service, rather than waiting until they are 62 years old.Garda retirements are due to increase so significantly because three decades ago a major, and long term, accelerated recruitment process was undertaken. That generation of Garda members is now nearing retirement.In a statement, Garda headquarters told The Irish Times it was considering increasing the size of classes at the Garda College, Templemore, to 250, from 200 at present. It was also examining proposals to host some Garda training away from the college, which would ramp up the number of recruits it could take in.[ ‘You might end up on TV’: An Garda Síochána launches €345,000 recruitment driveOpens in new window ]Garda management pointed out that on May 1st, Garda numbers were at 14,661. That is a record level, save for hundreds of recruits bypassing their training and being attested as an emergency measure at the start of the pandemic, which briefly pushed Garda numbers over 14,700.The Department of Justice said a range of proposals put forward by the Garda Training Review Group to increase recruitment capacity were under review.It added, in order to attract more recruits into the force, the training allowance had been significantly increased and the maximum age at which recruits could apply was increased from 35 to 50 years. In a bid to retain more Garda members, the compulsory retirement age had also been increased from 60 to 62 years. The PCSA, which oversees Garda performance and resources, said it had long regarded as an “urgent necessity” the need to increase the size of the force, amid changing and more complex policing demands.It planned to meet Garda Commissioner Justin Kelly and his senior management team next month to discuss “matters relating to strategic workforce planning, training, and other resourcing issues”.Niall Hodgins, president of the Garda Representative Association, which represents more than 11,000 rank and file members described the trends as “simply unsustainable”.[ Garda numbers crisis: ‘We could lose 30% to 50% of our organisation in five years’Opens in new window ]“The bulging compulsory retirements problem is a ticking time-bomb coming down the tracks at an alarming rate,” he said. The “terms and conditions” for gardaí need to be improved to attract more recruits into the force and prevent experienced members retiring early or resigning.The Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors, which represents the force’s middle managers, said it has repeatedly warned retirements would increase, though it was clear the situation was now “escalating”.A range of measures was needed to make policing a more attractive occupation, it said. This included ceasing pension contributions once a member had reached the service required for a full pension. Garda members should also be paid their gratuity on reaching full pensionable service, rather than having to wait until they retired.