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THE ANNUAL OVERTIME bill at the Garda press office rose by more than €100,000 compared to the previous year following the start of the Disclosures Tribunal, new figures show.
The Tribunal, which commenced in February 2017, examined allegations of a smear campaign against former Garda sergeant Maurice McCabe by senior members of the force.
It formally concluded last month, when it was found that a “campaign of calumny” was conducted against McCabe by former Commissioner Martin Callinan and press officer David Taylor.
Data released to TheJournal.ie under the Freedom of Information Act revealed that €115,683.90 in overtime was paid to staff in the office during 2017.
The figures also showed that €80,086 was paid to staff at the office during the first nine months of this year, before the Tribunal concluded.
By comparison, the overtime bill for the whole of 2016 was just €15,343.31, while €10,530.83 was paid in 2015 and €2,603.73 was paid in 2014.
It means that 87% of the office’s overtime bill since records were made available has been spent since the beginning of 2017.
In total, €4.78m was spent on annual salaries and overtime in the office between January 2014 and September 2018.
Annual salaries at the office broke the seven-figure mark for the first time last year, when staff earned over €1.1m compared with €920,161.62 in 2016.
However, 18 people were recorded as working in the office in January 2017, compared to 15 people 12 months previously and 16 people in September 2018.
A spokeswoman for An Garda Síochána added that those figures may have varied throughout these dates, as vacancies often arise due to retirements, secondments, re-assignments, and promotions.
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Very sad. I’ve often visited this Camphill community centre and it was a beautiful place for residents to live with land, animals, gardens and buildings. Lots of young Europeans volunteering years of their lives to provide an alternative option for living to people who would otherwise spend their lives in dull institutions having their senses dulled by chemical restraint.
Don’t think transferring it to the HSE will make it any better, with their record on mental health facilities .
I too have visited Camphill Ballytobin, and was really impressed by the interaction between staff and residents. What better way to live for people with disabilities, than being to assist in food production and crafting, and being at one with nature, while being allowed to progress at their own pace. Far better than being locked up in an institution. Let’s hope this isn’t another bureaucratic exercise by Hiqua! The HSE’s past record in looking after those with disabilities, leaves a lot to be desired.
The Camphill model was such a nice one. This is very sad to read indeed.
Hopefully these services can be brought up to an appropriate standard and continue to operate . We need to protect the most vulnerable as are many of the people attending these services .
Staff and managers running these services have a responsibility too plus resources from Government and HSE let’s hope it’s a move for better in relation to the lives of the people using the service.
I just cannot trust this government or the welfare of the disadvantaged it’s responsible for.
Budgets come before welfare. They seem to be able to find reasons to, in this case, stop a well run, people orientated, facility for the disabled, and hand it over to the HSE, an organisation that’s nothing else but a gravy train for the execs and managers.
Only time will tell.
Does anyone know why volunteers are no longer allowed because HSE are taking over? I can’t understand why HIQA keep handing over these centres to the HSE when there is a clear record of HSE running such places into the ground, feel so distressed reading this.
have your say