Monies Gardai receive for policing One Direction concerts and others shoots up in 2014

New figures show that in spite of missing out on a bonanza from policing the cancelled Garth Brooks concerts, the monies the Garda Síochána has received from policing private events this year has shot up by 39 per cent to €4.74 million.

According to figures provided by Minister for Justice Frances Fitzgerald, the Garda to date this year has received the money from policing concerts, sporting events and items listed as "other events".

Ms Fitzgerald said a factor behind the sharp increase is the 2013 monies recouped for sporting fixtures are reduced, due to a delay in the receipt of payment of fees from a number of sporting organisations. Her department does not name the sporting organisations concerned.

However, the monies received from sporting organisations in respect of 2013 is €972,856 compared to €1.4 million in 2014.

Garth Brooks

The figure for 2014 would have been much higher if the five Garth Brooks concerts had gone ahead when gardaí were set to put in place a large scale security operation around Croke Park.

The department said that between January 2012 and December 16th, 2014, the Garda received a total of €11.73 million in respect of policing various events.

In relation to 2014, Ms Fitzgerald said payments to the Garda for policing concerts, festivals and other events this year totalled €4.74 million with the Garda charging a total of €1.26 million to police concerts; €1.4 million on sporting fixtures and €2.07 million on other events.

The three One Direction concerts at Croke Park this year were a major driver in the income from policing events.