The Garda overtime expenditure skyrocketed to a record €197 million year 2024, partly due to the Garda’s response to the November 2023 Dublin riots and a €4.86 million overtime expense for crowd control during the UEFA Europa League Final in Dublin last May, reports Breaking News.
According to new data released by An Garda Síochána, the Garda overtime cost climbed by €16.24 million, or 9%, from €180.86 million in 2023 to €197.1 million, or €540,000 a day, in 2024.
A spokesman for An Garda Síochána said on Friday: “Crime investigation, crime prevention, national security, court related activity, high visibility policing in the Dublin Metropolitan Region, policing of protests, and policing of large events such as the UEFA Europa League final were the key drivers of overtime in 2024,” reports Breaking News.
He said: “In addition, significant overtime relating to the response to the Dublin riots of November 2023 was paid in 2024,” reports Breaking News.
The spokesman said that “the increase in pay from 2023 to 2024 as granted by Public Sector pay agreements is also a contributing factor in increasing the cost of overtime”, reports Breaking News.
The largest portion of the Garda overtime bill was €44.13 million allocated to Garda HQ and National Units, marking an 18% increase from the €37.49 million spent under the same category in 2023.
A Garda spokesperson explained that the rise in overtime spending was partly due to the policing of the UEFA Europa League Final, with all related costs assigned to a category within Garda HQ and National Units.
The second quarter of 2024 saw the highest overtime expenditure, totalling €62.3 million. This coincided with the security operation for the May 22nd Europa Cup Final between Bayern Leverkusen and Atalanta at the Aviva Stadium, reports Breaking News.
Overtime spending in other quarters was lower, amounting to €46.32 million in the fourth quarter, €45.33 million in the third, and €43.15 million in the first.
The total cost of policing the Europa Cup Final reached €7.12 million, including €4.86 million in overtime, €400,000 in travel and subsistence, and €1.17 million in additional expenses.
Regarding the overall overtime expenditure for 2024, a Garda spokesperson stated: “An Garda Síochána takes very seriously its requirement to ensure value for money in relation to all spend, including overtime. The financial position of An Garda Síochána is reviewed regularly and, when required, measures are put in place to reduce over-spends,” reports Breaking News.
He said: “The cost of overtime associated with protests, public gatherings and/or serious public disorder across the country is not separately identifiable,” reports Breaking News.
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