Garda fraud unit is still short of up to 50 detectives 

The units charged with tackling complex economic crimes, corruption, and fraud are short of garda detectives, and also civilian staff such as forensic accountants. 

An Garda Síochána’s top fraud unit is still short of up to 50 detective gardaí it has sought as far back as 2018.

The Irish Examiner understands the Garda National Economic Crime Bureau (GNECB) currently has 37 detective gardaí and is awaiting up to 50 additional detective gardaí, which it said was to fill vacancies.

The lack of resources available to the bureau has been highlighted in various domestic and international reports, including the Hamilton Review, published by the Government last December, a UN anti-corruption report last October and, this week, in a report by Transparency International (TI) Ireland.

Cracking complex financial crimes

The GNECB is charged with investigating a range of complex financial crimes.

Its main sections include an assessment unit, four serious economic crime investigation units, a payment card and counterfeit currency unit and two money laundering investigation teams.

It also has a financial intelligence unit, terrorist financing intelligence unit, an anti-corruption unit and an international liaison office.

The 37 detective gardaí are spread across these, and other units, and four officers are seconded to the Office of the Director of Corporate Enforcement.

Shortage of resources

The Hamilton Review highlighted shortages across all the units and said resourcing of the bureau “has for some time been an impediment to the ability of the bureau to carry out its functions effectively”.

Given the scale, complexity, and resource-intensive nature of financial crimes, the review called for prioritising the GNECB with “a substantial, sustained and ring-fenced increase” in resources, including both additional detectives and civilian specialists.

Three staff in anti-corruption unit

The UN review said that the staffing of the anti-corruption unit, with just three staff, was insufficient — a point highlighted in the TI Ireland report.

Garda HQ ran a competition for the bureau which finished last December, but no allocation has yet been made.

The GNECB did get an allocation of 11 sergeants last December, bringing its number of detective sergeants to 20.

It is not clear if the bureau will get as many of 50 detective gardaí and that the actual allocation could be significantly less.

There is also in the region of 20 civilian staff in the bureau, mainly clerical.

Recruiting more accountants

It has only three civilian accountants, a shortage highlighted this week’s TI report and in the Hamilton Review.

An advertisement for three further accountant positions in the bureau was published this month and an interview board is believed to be in the process of being set up.

It is thought an additional three accountants would make a significant difference.

However, the lack of detective gardaí on the ground to conduct investigations is said to be slowing existing investigations and creating a backlog of new cases awaiting investigation.

The Garda Press Office said: “A recent competition was held for Detective Gardaí at GNECB. It is anticipated that an allocation of some of the successful candidates will occur in the coming weeks.

A competition has commenced to employ three Forensic Accountants at GNECB. At present, there are three Forensic Accounts attached to GNECB, meaning that this competition would bring the total number to six. 

Speaking at the Policing Authority yesterday, Garda Commissioner Drew Harris expressed concern at a “worrying” rise in online fraud in the last year, up 40%, including in investment fraud and extortion of people duped into sharing intimate images online.