Gardaí take home €83.5m in overtime

GARDAÍ earned €83.5 million in overtime last year, figures released under the Freedom of Information Act reveal.

The top earner was an inspector in Dublin who took home €53,141 in overtime pay on top of a basic wage of €46,552.

The figures show that the top 20 overtime payments were to gardaí in Dublin, who shared a total of €857,882. Of the 20, one was a garda inspector, six were sergeants, and 13 were rank and file gardaí.

Payscales for gardaí range from €22,212 to €39,914 after 17 years’ service.

Sergeants earn between €40,209 to €46,299 after 12 years’ service, with inspectors taking home €46,552 to €51,650 after six years’ service.

The figures show gardaí worked 2.9 million hours in overtime last year, pocketing €83.5 million - an increase of 47% on the 2003 bill of €56.5m.

The overtime bill for the EU presidency was €16.2m, while garda overtime for the 18-hour visit of US President George W Bush was €4.2m with 169,021 overtime hours clocked up.

Meanwhile, a major shakeup of the gardaí will be announced on Tuesday.

The Government is expected to give approval to the promotion of six new assistant commissioners, the third tier of the force’s management after the commissioner and two deputy commissioners.

Those due to retire are: Joe Egan, head of crime and security; Tony Hickey, who most recently led the investigation into the disappearance and death of Robert Holohan in Cork; Adrian Culligan, in charge of the southern region; and Noel Smith, who heads up the south-eastern region.

Apart from the four retirees, a new post of assistant commissioner in charge of the traffic corps will be established. All senior posts from superintendent up have to be approved by the Government.

Those being promoted are: Eddie Rock, in charge of Dublin North Central; Jerry Kelly, based in Henry Street, Limerick; Martin Callinan, crime and security; Michael McCarthy, Dublin traffic; Martin Donnellan, recently moved from immigration to head up the National Bureau of Criminal Investigation; and Ray McAndrew, Anglesea Street, Cork.

It is not clear at this stage who will take up which post although it is believed that Chief Supt McAndrew will take over from Assistant Commissioner Culligan in the southern region.

Chief Supt McCarthy is likely to be the new head of the traffic corps.