Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Thursday, 9 May 2019

Public Accounts Committee

2017 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 20 - An Garda Síochána
Chapter 7 - Management of Overtime Expenditure in An Garda Síochána

9:00 am

Photo of Alan KellyAlan Kelly (Tipperary, Labour) | Oireachtas source

Thank you, Chairman. You made a timely reappearance. I welcome all the witnesses.

I will start of by focusing on overtime and then will put some questions at the end with regard to the appropriation side of things.

There seems to have been a serious spike in overtime in 2017 by comparison with 2014. Obviously, that was the year there was a pay deal for An Garda Síochána. It was understandable. However, the 2014 figure increased by three times in three years. I understand 100% the position on the fixed costs of the Garda in respect of parading. Will the Commissioner explain what that is? Many people do not understand why that is necessary for every garda. There are other fixed costs, which we understand the need for as well. We often deal with accounts from different organisations, but to have a trebling in the space of three years in highly unusual.

Is there something specific to 2017 regarding the management of the agreed pay deal? There was controversy at the time, references to blue flu and so forth. Is there something specific that caused this?

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