Vol. 417 No. 1
149 Dr. Lee asked the Minister for Justice if he will outline the Garda divisions which had the highest and lowest overtime budgets for the years 1989 to 1991; and if he will further outline the projections for 1992 for the high and low budget areas.
The allocation of an overtime budget to each Garda division is a matter for the Garda authorities. I am informed by the commissioner that the highest divisional expenditures on overtime for each of the years 1989 to 1991 were incurred in the Dublin Metropolitan Area. The highest overtime budget in the current year has been allocated to the Dublin Metropolitan Area.
The lowest divisional expenditures on Garda overtime in the years 1989 and 1991 were in the Kerry division. The lowest expenditure in 1990 was incurred in the Roscommon/Galway East division. The lowest overtime budget in the current year has been allocated to the Kerry division.
It should be explained, of course, that gross overtime figures for various divisions are influenced by a variety of factors and cannot be regarded in themselves as a measure of the relative levels of actual police service provided to communities in different areas.
