Garda reported €3.1m in contracts that broke rules – auditors found €14.2m

Ken Foxe

An Garda Síochána reported just €3.1 million in contracts that broke procurement rules, only for State auditors to discover there were actually contracts worth more than €14 million.

A review found the original return was incomplete, with dozens of contracts omitted and suppliers missing from information provided by the force.

An Garda Síochána had initially reported 22 contracts that were both non-competitive and non-compliant with public procurement rules.

However, when the Comptroller and Auditor General (C&AG) checked the return, additional suppliers were identified.

A revised list submitted by An Garda Síochána contained 65 contracts worth €14.2 million that were non-compliant and non-competitive.

The C&AG warned incomplete reporting created a risk that inaccurate updates could be given to the Public Accounts Committee and potentially mislead its members.

The audit classified the issue as “high” risk and said management needed to ensure procurement rules were followed and that reporting of breaches was accurate.

Separate checks also raised concerns over a Garda contracts register.

It found 44 cases where no contract duration was recorded, 19 where no value was listed and 37 where the procurement category recorded was simply the relevant Garda district.

There were 62 cases where a supplier contact was missing and another contract where no internal reference number was available.

The findings came despite correspondence to the Public Accounts Committee in June 2025 saying a contract register project was fully complete.

The audit also looked at the procurement of some hotels used to accommodate gardaí during Operation Argillite for the Europa League final in 2024.

Spending on the event has already been the subject of controversy after an audit documented €248,500 was spent on unused accommodation.