The Garda should only receive further investment if poor management practices are addressed, the new Minister for Public Expenditure Paschal Donohoe has been told.

In briefing documents, senior civil servants in the Minister’s department warn against allocating further resources to the Garda unless management introduces “a far-reaching reform programme”.

"We strongly feel that further investment in the force should only happen in the context of a proper reform programme," the briefing says. "An Garda Síochána need to address poor management and resource allocation practices."

The documents warn that if more reforms are promised “without demanding the type of change that all other modern police forces have been through, it will serve only to ingrain further those practices, and a policing service that falls short of what citizens rightfully deserve and taxpayers rightfully expect”.

Stinging criticisms

The briefings were compiled before last week’s stinging criticisms of the Garda and its management by the

Policing Authority

. That, in turn, came in the wake of the O’Higgins commission report into Garda malpractice in the Cavan-Monaghan division, brought to light by the Garda whistleblower Sgt Maurice McCabe.

Significantly, the officials say any programme of reform would have to be overseen externally by the new authority.

There have been widespread demands for extra resources for the Garda to deal with the wave of gangland crime. However, the briefing says a better policing service can be delivered within existing resources.

The Minister’s department believes that a programme of reform could “transform An Garda’s organisational and operational effectiveness”.

Higher visibility

Reforms could “result in more trained policing officers carrying out policing duties and higher visibility policing overall, including in rural areas”, the documents say.

The department says it supports additional resources for the Garda “as reflected in the €200 million contained in the capital plan and numerous sanctions for new recruitment”. But it says that in return for such spending increases “there must be a clear and unambiguous commitment to implementing change”.

The Department of Public Expenditure was separated from the Department of Finance in 2011 to enable greater control by central government over public spending. All government departments and public bodies funded by the exchequer must make their case for resources to the Department.

The briefing documents also warn the Minister of significant spending pressures across Government and say abolishing water charges is likely to lead to enforcement action by the EU, including substantial daily fines.