€100million for Garda overtime in 2018

Department of Justice and Garda bosses have said overtime funding is available for December but gardaí confirmed a national ban on the practice has been in place since Tuesday and will run until Sunday.

The temporary ban was brought in so the force can keep within both an initial overtime budget of €88.5m and a supplementary estimate of €42m, announced yesterday.

It followed reports that Assistant Commissioner for Dublin, Pat Leahy, had told his divisional commanders there would be a ban on overtime for the rest of the year.