Overtime cut won’t affect gangland clampdown – minister
GARDA overtime cuts will not affect key anti-gangland and anti-burglary operations, the Justice Minister has insisted.
Some €3.5m was knocked off the allocation for overtime in Tuesday’s Budget, bringing it to €95m for 2019, with further decreases expected in the coming years.
Much of the funding for anti-gangland operations, special detective unit work and anti-burglary initiative Operation Thor has come from the overtime budget in recent years.
However, Charlie Flanagan batted away concerns that such operations could be affected. “I am absolutely confident of what the Garda Commissioner is doing in terms of an evaluation of overtime will ensure communities, both urban and rural, are protected by An Garda Síochána,” he said.
Mr Flanagan pointed out
that plans to bring in 800 new garda recruits next year, a net increase of around 500 when retirements are taken into account, would bring the force’s membership up to 14,000.
“It is not all about overtime. It is about recruitment and training,” he said.
Mr Flanagan also defended the €10m allocation in the Budget for reforms in An Garda Síochána and the Department of Justice.
Asked if the figure was low, he said: “It is a very positive start. It will allow work to be done in the area of reform.”
He said the allocation could be reviewed at a later stage.
Mr Flanagan also said he did not expect all 50 recommendations of the Commission on Future Policing to be implemented next year.
He added that he intended to propose an independent chair to oversee the reform by the end of the year.