AN Garda Síochána has come under fire after a government spending watchdog revealed that nearly €250,000 was wasted on hotel accommodation that went unused during the policing operation for the UEFA Europa League Final in Dublin in May 2024.
A report released by the Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General (C&AG) sharply criticised the lack of planning and oversight that led to the booking of hundreds of hotel rooms that were either later cancelled at a cost or simply never occupied by Garda officers.
According to the report, a total of €586,042 was spent on accommodation for the three-day security operation surrounding the final, with €248,500 spent on rooms that were never used.
The event, held at the Aviva Stadium, saw over 5,000 Garda shifts worked over the period, with total policing costs reaching €7.8 million.
This included €4.92 million in overtime and over €300,000 in travel and subsistence allowances.
The booking issues stemmed from accommodation being arranged two months in advance, before Garda had a clear understanding of how many officers would be needed.
The C&AG found that Garda management engaged directly with 25 hotels and initially booked 727 rooms by late April.
However, after last-minute adjustments, a total of 540 rooms were retained across 14 hotels, leaving an average of 315 beds per night unoccupied, costing taxpayers more than €145,000 in unused rooms.
In addition, cancellation fees amounted to €91,577, as some hotels charged full or partial costs for bookings that were dropped shortly before the event.
The Labour Party’s justice spokesperson, Alan Kelly, labelled the overspend “absolutely extraordinary”, according to the Irish Independent.
“Why was there no proper capacity analysis?” he asked.
“Why were rooms booked without knowing if they were needed? Serious questions must be asked.”
The C&AG’s report further noted that procurement processes did not comply with Public Procurement Guidelines and that Gardaí had no formal logistics policy in place for managing accommodation during large-scale events at the time.
That policy gap was addressed later in November 2024, when a formal planning framework for extraordinary events was introduced.
In its response, An Garda Síochána said it accepted the watchdog’s recommendations and emphasised that new systems are already in place to improve accountability.
It said that timelines for declaring large-scale events have been improved and advance hotel bookings are kept to a minimum until final personnel numbers are confirmed.
Garda management also confirmed they are reviewing options for an IT solution to ensure more efficient allocation of accommodation.
Garda added that a review of subsistence claim forms was completed in 2025.
Claimants and approvers are now required to certify whether accommodation or meals were already provided, ensuring proper deductions are made during processing.