asked the Minister for Justice the total cost to the nation for the past ten years of the armed escort service provided by the Garda Síochána for banks or other agencies requiring such services for the transport of cash consignments.
Written Answers. - Armed Escorts.
72.
Limerick East): The Garda Síochána provide armed protection both by way of escort and mobile patrol for a very considerable number of cash movements throughout the State on an almost daily basis. The cost of providing this particular service is not separately compiled. It would be extremely difficult and time-consuming to establish the cost of such escorts over the past ten years and it would be wasteful of scarce Garda resources to attempt to do so.
The Government decided some years ago that certain large movements of cash should have the benefit of a Garda/Army escort to prevent such sums of money falling into the hands of subversives and well-organised criminal elements. This service was not sought by banks or other financial institutions; it was imposed by the Government in the public interest. Moreover many of these large cash movements include substantial sums of cash consignments for post offices for the payment of a variety of social welfare benefits. This is often the case even when the moneys are being moved from one bank premises to another. The cost of the Garda of providing this latter service was separately compiled for the years 1979 and 1981. The figures were £326,000 and £363,000 respectively.