Figures have shown that An Garda Síochána spent more than €660,000 on hotel accommodation during Joe Biden's presidential visit to Ireland in 2023.
According to these figures, the garda policing operation for Mr Biden's visit cost €31 million, including the €664,000 spent on hotels. Other expenses includes CCTV costs and overtime, according to a confidential letter sent to the Public Accounts Committee which was seen by the Irish Independent.
These reports also said that a number of these hotels were four star, with more than €242,000 spent on aparthotel accommodation in Dublin, with a further €110,000 spent on the Marlin Hotel in St Stephen's Green.
The Garda Commissioner's office had said that a number of these hotels used during the visit were in the capital, while some were outside it.
Earlier this year, it was revealed that garda management had changed its policy when it came to booking accommodation, with members required to book and pay for any necessary hotel and seek any reimbursement via subsistence payments afterwards.
The Public Accounts Committee were looking into hotels used by Gardaí, after Labour TD, Eoghan Kenny had asked former commissioner, Drew Harris if a garda superintendent and his wife, who was based in Dublin, had stayed in a five star hotel during this visit.
At a hearing last year, Mr Harris said it was the first time that he had been made aware of this allegation, and that an inquiry would have to be conducted.
The PAC were informed that the Garda Anti Corruption Unit were unable to "verify" the claim from Mr Kenny TD, following a preliminary investigation.
Last August, An Garda Síochána said there was a "fact finding exercise" taking place in response to this allegation to “identify if there was any substance” to it.
A letter to the PAC said: “A number of enquiries were undertaken in furtherance of this fact-finding exercise which included engagement with Deputy Eoghan Kenny of the Public Accounts Committee, hotels of relevance and relevant internal stakeholders in An Garda Síochána involved in the planning of this significant policing operation".
It added that people had been contact “where clarifications were required to support enquiries”.
Speaking on this, Mr Kenny said that he will be asking garda management on the GAC inquiry when they appear before TDS on this PAC next month.
“There’s a disappointing aspect to that, where we have an anti-corruption unit, and it didn’t come to a successful conclusion on that question in particular", he said.
“I fully appreciate that with large events like this we have to have An Garda Síochána, and we have to be able to accommodate them, particularly if they’re living outside of the area where the person is visiting", he added. “But we also must ensure that, for the taxpayer, they are getting the best value for money in relation to providing this accommodation".
(All quotes according in this piece according to The Irish Independent).
