Biden’s Visit To Ireland Saw Police Overtime Wages Skyrocket

News that the number of Ireland’s Gardaí force is in decline comes amid a report in which the month of May saw in excess of €30m in overtime payments, and most of it was down to one man.

The Garda’s overtime budget is more than €34m over the predicted figures to date, with seven months of the year still to go. Most of the overtime claims are thanks to policing the State visit of US President Joe Biden in April, according to the Irish Examiner, Saturday, July 1.

Overtime payments are just one of the issues faced by the government. Figures show that garda officers are leaving quicker than they can be replaced, a situation caused by mounting retirements and resignations.

Falling Numbers Of Garda Officers

Figures have seen the numbers of Garda Force officers drop more and more with each successive year. There were 59 resignations at the end of May 2023, compared to 108 for the whole of 2022, 95 in 2021, and 69 in 2020.

The warning signs have been there for some time. The overtime provision for 2023, was just over €100m. The amount actually spent on garda overtime in 2022 was almost €128m.

Garda strength stood at 13,927 at the end of May 2023, compared to 13,995 the previous month, and 14,347 one year ago.

Statistics showing the number of officers actually available indicate a worrying trend. The monthly report for June showed, with leave arrangements accounted for, the available garda strength in May was 13,697, compared to 13,756 in April and 14,106 a year ago.

In the space of one year, the number of frontline garda officers has fallen by 452. And although the number of sergeants has shown healthy signs of recovery, the downward trend is still evident when compared to last year’s figures, 2,081 in May 2023, compared to 2,094 for the same month in 2022.

New Garda Recruits

In relation to recruitment, the report said that a total of 381 garda trainees had started in the Garda College since 2022. It is also reported that 930 candidates in total are still in the An Garda Síochána clearance process, which encompasses a physical competency test, a medical and vetting.

Garda numbers are below the European average. According to the Oireachtas Parliamentary Budget Office, Ireland had 291 gardaí for every 100,000 inhabitants in 2020, compared to an average of 328 police for every 100,000 people across 35 countries in Europe. By 2022, this number had fallen even more to 277 garda.