John Curran (Dublin Mid West, Fianna Fail)
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301. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the expenditure that has been incurred on Garda overtime in 2018 to the end of August; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37490/18]

Charles Flanagan (Laois, Fine Gael)
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The Deputy will be aware that the Garda Commissioner is the Accounting Officer for the Garda Vote and as such is responsible for the effective and efficient use of the resources at his disposal, in accordance with operational need. Those resources have reached unprecedented levels with a provision for 2018 of more than €1.6 billion, including an allocation of almost €100 million for overtime.

I am informed by the Garda authorities that the total expenditure on Garda overtime to the end of August 2018 was €84.7 million.

Under the governance and oversight arrangements in place between my Department and An Garda Síochána, the evolution of expenditure is kept under constant review and I have already discussed the financial position with Commissioner Harris. We are agreed that it is essential that value for money is achieved with the resources at his disposal and insofar as the emerging overrun in 2018 is concerned, he will be working with his senior management team to identify any measures that can be taken to ameliorate the situation. My Department will, of course, continue to engage with Garda management on the issue over the remainder of the year.