Bill for state visits comes in €16m over estimates

JUSTICE Minister Alan Shatter has admitted the Government will have to find an extra €16 million to cover the cost of the visits by the Queen and US President Barack Obama.

The Garda bill alone has come in at €36m, almost double the original estimate.

The minister revealed the figure — which includes overtime but excludes an estimated €2m bill for the Defence Forces — at a Dáil committee yesterday.