Lorraine Clifford Lee (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

-----issued by Assistant Commissioner Pat Leahy relating to no overtime being authorised until the new year. That is what concerns people today. He sent a notification to the chief superintendents in the Dublin area yesterday stating that no overtime is authorised and any operations intended on an overtime basis are cancelled. He stated the Garda budget for 2017 has been exhausted and all operations, events, searches, arrests, etc., for the remainder of 2017 will be performed by working units.

The Minister stated, "I am at a loss to comprehend the proposition made by some commentators that there is no money to pay for Garda overtime in the run up to Christmas", but he should not be at a loss given the statement sent by Assistant Commissioner Leahy to the chief superintendents. It clearly states the Garda budget for 2017 has been exhausted and all operations intended on an overtime basis are cancelled. That would include up to the end of December.