A briefing note published by the Department of Justice and Equality has warned that a supplementary spending estimate will be needed later this year, mainly because of funding pressures caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

A paper prepared for new minister Helen McEntee (pictured) said that, by the end of May, current spending had already overrun by €51 million.

Hotel spaces

It revealed that all of the €80.6 million allocated for direct provision had been spent by the end of June, and the total cost would hit around €200 million by the end of the year.

The paper said that, while rising costs had been an issue before COVID-19, the situation had been exacerbated by the need for additional hotel spaces to help reduce contacts within centres, and other measures aimed at reducing the risk of an outbreak.

€44m extra in Garda costs

The document said €44 million extra would be needed for Garda-related costs, mainly due to COVID-19, including an extra €14 million for personal protective equipment (PPE).

The paper said the impact of COVID-19 on the Courts Service would not be known until later in the year, but it was facing a shortfall of around €17 million in fee income, representing a 40% drop.

Additional pandemic costs linked to prisons are currently estimated at €4-5 million.

The need for extra day-to-day spending is likely to be partially offset by underspending on infrastructure projects, which will be delayed by pandemic restrictions.