Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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154. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if further funding has been sought for 2020 by An Garda Síochána due to the Covid-19 pandemic; if so, when a decision will be made on the request; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11240/20]

Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael)
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The 2020 Revised Estimates allocation for An Garda Síochána (Vote 20) was €1,783.5 million.   The Department of Justice and Equality provides my Department with regular reports in relation to the expenditure impacts of Covid-19 for the Justice Sector including for the Garda Vote.  The most recent report in the context of the Monthly Expenditure Returns was received last week and it included An Garda Síochána's latest provisional estimates of 2020 expenditure related to Covid-19.  Cost saving measures and efficiencies continue to be identified towards offsetting additional expenditure, as appropriate.

There is a requirement to bring forward Revised Estimates for certain Votes for Dáil consideration in the coming weeks, as a number of Votes will reach their four-fifths expenditure limit in the months ahead and will need to be voted upon by the Dáil in advance of the summer recess.  This will involve some limited changes to the estimates published in December across some of these Votes to reflect Covid-19 related expenditure that has been incurred either through reallocations within these Votes, or on the basis of specific Government Decisions to provide additional funding for the Health Services, employment and income supports and supports for business. Vote 20 does not fall within the scope of these Government Decisions and my Department has not received any requests for supplementary funding in respect of An Garda Síochána.