Lenihan denies policing cuts despite overtime warnings

JUSTICE Minister Brian Lenihan said there would be no cut in policing, despite warnings by Garda bosses that the overtime budget is due to run out by August.

The comments came as the minister announced he had requested the Garda Inspectorate to examine how the allocation of money within the gardaí could be improved.

At the annual conference of the Association of Garda Superintendents on Wednesday, the chief administrative officer of the force said the Garda overtime budget would run out by the end of August unless “corrective measures” were taken. John Leamy said the Government and the minister had given “firm warnings” there would be no more money.

Garda commissioner Fachtna Murphy later confirmed there would be no “supplementary budget” from the department, but said he had the necessary budget.

Responding yesterday, Mr Lenihan said the overall Garda budget rose by more than 10% this year to €1.6 billion, including a significant rise in overtime.

“The commissioner has said he had the resources necessary and I’m satisfied he has,” said Mr Lenihan.

“The estimates in 2007 included an overtime budget of €88m, this year it’s €107m, so it’s increasing.”

He said there was some scope in the overall justice budget of €2.5bn for a re-allocation between sections, if it was necessary.

But he said: “The increase in Garda numbers means lesser reliance on overtime. Of course, a number of Garda operations depend on overtime, for example Operation Anvil, but that funding is ring-fenced.”

Commissioner Murphy said he had set aside €20m for Operation Anvil.

Fine Gael justice spokesman Charlie Flanagan said the minister had “speedily and vociferously” rejected recent suggestions by him in Dáil questions that Operation Anvil was being affected.

Mr Flanagan said “further clarification” would be needed from the minister.

Mr Lenihan yesterday said he had also asked the Garda Inspectorate to advise him on the implementation of a Garda Charter, which would set out the response times and levels of service communities could expect from the force.

The Garda Inspectorate yesterday published progress reports on original reports by them on policing, barricade incidents and senior management structures.

Chief inspector Kathleen O’Toole said they were pleased that nearly all their recommendations had been accepted by gardaí.