More than 130 Gardaí were reported to be on board deportation flights carrying only 63 people to South Africa, with charter costs of €719,642. Other flights included 113 Gardaí for 34 deportees to Lithuania and Poland at a cost of €150,871, and 117 Gardaí for 52 deportees to Georgia in November, including seven children, at around €230,000. Concerns were raised about whether the number of Gardaí travelling is excessive and whether there is a clear rationale for staffing levels. The Public Accounts Committee is seeking further clarity on the breakdown of flight costs, including return costs for one-way flights, and on whether security costs are borne by Gardaí or the State.
"Obviously, security on any flight is paramount, but I don't think we've been given a rationale as to how these figures are arrived at. Mr Brady said three or four of the charter flights were one-way, which raised questions about the return costs of the "huge number of people" travelling out."
"The Departments say any security costs are borne by the gardaí, but I think we need to get those figures because there (are) legitimate concerns where communities are crying out for gardaí and then you see huge numbers (of gardaí) on some of these flights."
"There were 133 gardaí on board a deportation flight to South Africa which carried just 63 people. It cost €719,642 to charter. A further 113 gardaí travelled on board a recent deportation flight to Lithuania and Poland which carried 34 individuals. It cost the State €150,871 to charter the flight."
"Fianna Fáil TD Seamus McGrath said there is "significant missing information" in the detail received by the committee from the Department of Justice in relation to the flights. The State spend around €2m on chartering eight flights, but Mr McGrath said there is "limited" detail around the associated c"
#deportation-flights #gardai-staffing #charter-flight-costs #public-accounts-oversight #security-costs
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