THE cost of running the Garda vehicle fleet is "indefensible", but about £1 million could be saved if the operation was reformed, the Secretary of the Department of Justice said.
Mr Tim Dalton told the Dail Committee of Public Accounts yesterday that he could not defend the costs identified by the Comptroller and Auditor General in a Value For Money report on Garda vehicle maintenance.
The report indicated that the maintenance of the vehicles by Garda mechanics cost about three times as much as it would at commercial garages, and recommended contracting out the garage operation.
Mr Dalton said a number of options were being examined following the report. But he had already determined that savings of £1 million were possible.
This could involve replacing some Garda mechanics and drivers with civilians, centralising the purchasing of fuel, and having vehicle suppliers carry out the modifications needed to prepare the vehicles for Garda use, he said.
A number of deputies criticised the high cost of the Garda garage operation, quoting the report which suggested that, despite apparent overstaffing, £100,000 in overtime had been paid out last year and a further £300,000 worth of work had to be contracted out.
Mr Dalton asked them not to focus on the way the operation had been run, but to concentrate on how it might now be improved.
The secretary said a new computerised system was being installed to ensure that Garda car buyers would have easy access to full information about which types of cars are proving worth their cost. Implementing other changes such as replacing Garda mechanics with civilians was more complicated.