Garda Commissioner Justin Kelly stated that despite a €2.3 billion budget last year, the force required an additional €20 million to cover new recruitment and heightened operational demands.
According to RTE, key factors included heightened protest activity alongside a major security operation for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s visit in December.
In an address to the Oireachtas Public Accounts Committee today, Kelly will explain that the extra funds helped enhance personnel, equipment, technology, and overall operational capacity.
Pay accounts for the bulk of An Garda Síochána's budget, which rose by 4% last year following higher staffing levels and national pay increases, RTE confirmed.
The force's transport fleet reached a record high of 3,650 vehicles, including 300 electric models.
Recent acquisitions spanned new cars, a fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, an armored vehicle for tactical response units, public order equipment, and rigid inflatable boats for maritime operations.
Workforce expansion also picked up pace, with 618 new recruits passing out last year, the largest intake in seven years pushing total personnel past 14,400, with an additional 200 trainees expected to graduate next week.
Gardaí and members of the public received more than €30m in compensation last year, totaling at an overspend of almost €14m.
According to RTE, commissioner Kelly will outline a overhaul in how major policing events are managed, noting that force-booked accommodation now occurs only under exceptional circumstances with senior sign-off and strict oversight.
Addressing procurement issues, he will acknowledge that 69 contracts worth €13 million (excluding VAT) breached procurement rules last year.
However, the news outlet confirmed that he will highlight that An Garda Síochána introduced updated procurement policies this year, backed by a centralized contract registry, tighter expenditure monitoring, and improved reporting systems for non-compliance.
