Public may be subsidising concerts and sports events due to Garda undercharging for policing

A recent report from the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has cast a spotlight on potential financial irregularities within An Garda Síochána, suggesting that public resources might be inadvertently subsidizing private commercial ventures. The core issue lies in the current charging model for policing large-scale events such as concerts and sporting fixtures – so-called "non-public duty" (NPD) events.

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Public resources may be subsidising commercial private events such as concerts and sporting fixtures due to undercharging by An Garda Síochána for policing such gatherings, the Public Accounts Committee (Pac) has found.

The committee expresses significant concern over the existing flat-rate charging system, which sets a fee of €45 per hour per Garda deployed. This model is criticized for its lack of transparency and rigor, raising doubts about whether the Gardaí are adequately recovering the costs associated with providing security for these lucrative private events. The absence of robust cost data hampers the force's ability to ensure fair cost recovery, creating a "potential risk that voted monies may subsidise private commercial events."

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This model, the report finds, “lacks the transparency and rigour required to safeguard public funds and ensure fair cost recovery for NPD events”.

Further complicating matters are identified flaws in the implementation of the charging model. These include the exclusion of overtime, allowances, and higher-rank pay from the flat-rate calculation. A review of 15 events revealed instances where Gardaí worked significantly more hours than initially estimated, and in one case, organizers were undercharged by nearly €67,000. Additionally, a waiver was granted to an organizer who, despite charging an entry fee, was not a registered charity, casting doubt on the justification for the waived fees.

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An absence of reliable cost data means the Garda is hampered in routinely assessing the extent to which it is recovering costs “and creates a potential risk that voted monies may subsidise private commercial events”, the report notes.

The PAC's findings, detailed in The Irish Times, also highlight weaknesses in record-keeping and internal controls, with systems failing to reliably track hours, overtime, or allowances, thus undermining any robust audit trail. The committee's call for an annual report on the true costs of policing NPD events and an update within nine months signals a serious intent to bring greater accountability and financial prudence to this area, ensuring that public funds are protected and not used to underwrite private profit.

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Also, a review of 15 events found gardaí worked more than the initially estimated staffing hours.