Gardaí Book €248,500 Unused Hotel Beds for Uefa Europa League
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Garda Síochána Spent €590,000 on Hotel Rooms for Europa League Final, with €248,500 Unused
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What Happened?
An Garda Síochána spent €590,000 on hotel accommodation over three nights for members policing the May 2024 UEFA Europa League final in dublin. The Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General (C&AG) revealed that €248,500 of this amount was spent on accommodation that was ultimately unused.
Initially, the force booked 727 rooms a month before the match, anticipating the need to accommodate 1,454 members. Though, the Garda Representative Association (GRA) raised concerns about the suitability of shared rooms.
The C&AG report also noted that booking twin rooms as single rooms, with the addition of a single occupancy supplement, often cost nearly the same as booking single rooms directly.
In the lead-up to the operation, 246 rooms were cancelled, resulting in cancellation fees of €91,577 charged by six of the eleven hotels involved. Together, an additional 59 rooms were booked.
This left the Gardaí with 500 twin and 40 single-occupancy rooms,theoretically providing accommodation for 1,040 members each night for three nights. However, an average of 315 beds remained unused each night, costing €145,698.
Further inefficiencies were identified: 13 Garda members were assigned two rooms in the same hotel, and 11 were assigned two rooms in different hotels.
Why Did This Happen?
The report points to several contributing factors:
- Initial Overestimation: The initial booking of 727 rooms may have overestimated the actual need for accommodation.
- GRA Concerns: Complaints about shared rooms led to adjustments in booking preferences, potentially increasing costs.
- inefficient Booking Practices: The cost comparison between twin rooms (booked as single) and single rooms was not effectively considered.