Vol. 483 No. 6
374 Mr. Allen asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if he intends to carry out a review of management of the Garda Síochána in view of the fact that the Garda Síochána's overtime bill has trebled in three years and will cost the taxpayer £43 million in 1997; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21105/97]
The most marked increase in overtime expenditure occurred in the period 1995-96 when expenditure went from less than £17 million in 1995 to £37.5 million in 1996. Overtime expenditure in 1997 is likely to reach £43 million which again represents an increase over the previous year although the rate of increase has slowed down somewhat.
There has been a substantial increase in the demand on Garda operational resources over the past few years and in the short-term this demand can only be met by the use of overtime. Overtime expenditure has increased due to demands associated with serious crime investigations, such as the investigation into the murder of journalist Veronica Guerin, together with the on-going BSE operations, measures to combat the entry of illegal aliens, and special operations such as Lifesaver and Dóchas.
The current level of overtime is very high but many of the operations funded by this expenditure have been particularly effective.
