Garda failed to meet procurement rules 47 times over €15m worth of contracts

Translation services costing €2.5 million, a single car-towing contract worth more than €1.8 million and a 24 hour doctor-on-call service worth €2 million were among 47 instances where An Garda Síochána were non-compliant with procurement rules in 2021, newly released documents have disclosed.

In his latest review of the Garda for the 2021 appropriation account, the Comptroller and Auditor General disclosed that it was not in compliance with rules for procurement for goods and services totalling €15 million in that year.

Following the publication of the account, the Dáil’s spending watchdog, the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), wrote to the Garda’s corporate affairs division earlier this year asking it for a breakdown of the 47 instances. The Garda responded in March.

In correspondence published by the PAC this week, a full breakdown of the non-compliant instances, each involving spending of €25,000 or more, is given.

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These included either no contracts or expired contracts with some 20 vehicle-towing companies, worth almost €6 million in total.

One of those recovery companies, Gannons, was paid €1,877,270. Another towing company, The Recovery Network, was paid €1,493,584.

In a note to the list, it is noted that some contracts were procured for operational needs and some companies continued operating under expired contracts. It added that “14 new contracts are currently in place with the final 14 contracts to be completed by March 31st this year”.

A single contract with translations.ie (which provides translation services to the Garda) was worth €2.574 million but was non-compliant with procurement rules in 2021. In a note, the Garda stated the framework had expired but a new contract would be completed in 2023 with additional procurement needs also addressed.

Similarly a 24 hour doctor-on-call service used by the Garda, worth €1.934 million, was technically operating without being compliant with procurement rules in 2021. The reason given was a technical error. A framework for four years had been in operation since 2019 but because of an oversight error the contracts for services in 2021 as provided for in the framework were not signed and put in place. Another medical contract worth almost €1 million was out of compliance for the same reason.

Ten cleaning contracts, collectively worth more than €600,000, were either operating with no contracts or expired contracts in 2021. The Garda has said that new contracts are in place for some with others being progressed.

A clothing contract worth almost €400,000 was also operating under an expired contract, as was another contract worth €411,000 for the hire of barriers.