Gardaí launched 41 investigations into missing cash that was taken as evidence, Dáil committee told

In November, a serving garda was arrested in connection with the disappearance of drugs from a Garda station.

Gardaí have had to launch 41 investigations into cash, taken as evidence, which has gone missing over the last five years, the Public Accounts Committee has been told.

Documents on the investigations provided to the PAC show that, of the 41, 11 are still ongoing. However, gardaí have not told the committee the value of the cash that has gone missing.

The PAC is expected to discuss the situation on Thursday. 

Chair of the PAC, Sinn Féin TD John Brady said: “This information, provided to PAC following my request, is deeply concerning and marks a significant increase on reported figures from previous years.

“We need full transparency from An Garda Síochána regarding the outcomes of these investigations, the value of money involved in each case and if that money was recovered."

He said Gardaí should also say whether there were internal disciplinary proceedings or if they were elevated to criminal investigations.

“This all raises broader concerns around the way in which An Garda Síochána handles the storage of evidence, in particular cash, drugs and firearms."

In June, then-Garda commissioner Drew Harris told the committee gardaí held €40m in cash as evidence, as of June 27, “spread around the Garda estate”.

He confirmed officers were “working through a project on the amount of cash we hold and how we can reduce that”.

Deputy commissioner Shawna Coxon said the process would see cash taken as evidence moved into banks.

“That is a very complicated process because you have to go out to each individual investigator to make that determination and there is paperwork to be done,” she said.

Fianna Fáil TD Paul McAuliffe said it was a “very significant sum to be held not electronically or in a bank but in cash notes”.

“I do not think there is another organisation in the State, although I accept the Garda is different, that would have €40m in bank notes and for which the Committee of Public Accounts would not have a good line of sight on the security measures and the steps that are in place to protect the money,” he said.

In a statement, a Garda spokesperson said Mr Harris did tell the PAC the Garda Property and Evidence Management System (PEMS) "was robust but was not fool-proof against individual Garda personnel with criminal intent”. 

“PEMS is used by An Garda Síochána to track, store, and manage evidence, and seized items such as drugs, cash, and firearms.”

During the meeting last June, Mr Harris also spoke of an incident in 2023 where there was 2kg of cannabis stole from Carlow Garda station.

He said these drugs “should have been properly secured within the PEM system but were stolen from a locker”.

In November, a serving garda was arrested in connection with the disappearance of drugs from a Garda station.

It was confirmed the garda had been arrested by the anti-corruption unit. The drugs were removed from a Garda station in the east of the country in January 2024.