Mr. Seamus McCarthy:

The 2022 appropriation accounts for Vote 20 - An Garda Síochána recorded gross expenditure of €2.15 billion. This was an increase of around €150 million, or 8%, on the prior year. Expenditure related to payment of salaries, wages and allowances totalled €1.32 billion in 2022. An Garda Síochána spent a further €404 million on pension and gratuity payments to retired gardaí. These two areas account for over 80% of total expenditure in the period.

The Vote has a single expenditure programme that covers all of its operations. Apart from the standard administration cost areas, expenditure was incurred in areas such as transport, communications and the Garda College. Also included is the capital building programme, which includes expenditure on the new Military Road premises of almost €47 million in 2022. The account does not analyse Garda spending in terms of output programmes such as traffic policing, fraud investigation or other specialist functions. At the end of 2022, approximately 17,300 whole-time equivalent staff were employed, of whom just over 14,200 were gardaí or trainees and just over 3,100 were civilian employees with An Garda Síochána.

A supplementary estimate of €79 million was voted for An Garda Síochána in 2022.

At the end of the year, the amount remaining unspent and due for surrender was €12.6 million. I issued a clear audit opinion in relation to the appropriation account. However, I drew attention to two matters disclosed by the Accounting Officer in the statement on internal financial control. These relate to non-compliant procurement by An Garda Síochána of €10.8 million worth of goods and services in 2022 and certain weaknesses in relation to control of stocks, attributed to lack of availability of personnel.