The full value of the Pandemic Special Recognition Payments was a €1,000 tax-free payment to eligible frontline staff who worked in a Covid-19-exposed healthcare environment between March 2020 and June 2021.

The average overpayment to a garda was around €1,870 while the average overpayment for a civilian member was €1,580.

A report by Tusla – the Child and Family Agency – concluded the adequacy and effectiveness of policies, procedures and controls relating to cash payments to foster carers in the Louth-Meath area were “unsatisfactory.”