C&AG report criticises Garda charging policies for policing non-public duty events
Garda Charged For Harry Being Concert Report Actual An About The Parison Also At In Charging Gardaí Events For Services, The With Concerns 2023 Estimated The Cost Síochána June Picture: Of Slane The Fees In Policing Noted With Policing In €207,180 Styles
Garda charging policies for policing non-public duty events, including concerts and matches, are not robust enough, with a decision made in one case to waive fees as the event was deemed to be a charity event.
However, the Comptroller and Auditor General (C&AG) report said there was an entry fee for participants in the event, with the income being retained by the organising body, which was not a registered charity.
The report also noted concerns about the fees being charged for events in comparison with the estimated actual cost of policing services, with An Garda Síochána charging €207,180 for policing at the Harry Styles concert in Slane in June 2023 — with the estimated actual cost of the services provided being €274,166.
At present, the rate charged for policing a non-public duty event is €45 an hour, according to the report.
The C&AG is critical of the rate, saying it does not reflect additional overtime rates or allowances for duty on Sundays or bank holidays. “The flat rate charge also has not been revised to take account of pay increases awarded since April 2023,” it said.
“Consequently, the charge rate reflects an assumed cost rather than the actual costs. If the charges levied in respect of policing NPD events are less than the costs incurred, the unrecovered portion of costs is ultimately funded by the exchequer.
“In one case, the NPD charge was waived as the event was considered to be a ‘charity event’."
However, the event attracted an entry fee for participants and the income generated was retained by the organising body, which is not a registered charity. The examination found there was no requirement in the current procedure document to verify the charitable status of event organisers, when deciding to waive the NPD fee.”
It also pointed out waived fees were paid by the exchequer.
The report said an examination of 15 sample events — including the Harry Styles concert, the Rose of Tralee festival, Galway Races, and the Rally of the Lakes in Killarney — found “an inconsistent approach in how the flat rate charge was applied”.
It outlined that in some cases, the flat rate was applied to estimated Garda hours as determined by the chief superintendent when planning the level of resources needed to police an event. In others, the flat rate fee was applied to the number of hours reported, after the event took place.
The report said: “The examination found that in general for larger commercial events, the hours reported often exceeded the initial estimated hours.”