Wanted: Garda budget that does its duty

“Kick off with the dirty work” is counsel often given to new brooms, and that means attacking costs in commercial enterprises and public services.

Garda Commissioner Drew Harris has lost no time in doing just that, noting that the service’s overtime bill was €15.5m over-budget by July and heading north to an unsustainable €30m by the year’s end. His consequent ban on discretionary and administrative overtime means that extra hours will be approved only for mandatory work, such as court and scenes-of-crime duties.