Eight Gardaí were paid more than €50,000 each in overtime last year.

According to Freedom of Information figures released to Newstalk, the total Garda overtime bill has increased by almost one-third in the past two years.

An Garda Síochána spent just under €130 million on overtime for Gardaí and civilian staff last year.

That is up €16 million from 2021, and is €31 million more than in 2020.

Source: An Garda Síochána

One sergeant got nearly €65,000 in overtime last year.

Brendan O'Connor, from the Garda Representative Association (GRA), said the total bill is so high because of staff shortages.

"The number of guards is actually falling due to failures to meet the recruitment targets, the increase in the numbers of people who are choosing to resign and also the natural wastage from retirement," he said.

"You've less people trying to deliver the same service."

A member of An Garda Síochána. Picture by: Leah Farrell/ RollingNews.ie

Sinn Féin's justice spokesman, Martin Kenny, would like to see more people from minority groups join the force.

"The traditional places that we used to recruit Gardaí from are not the providing the kind of numbers that we used to see, Deputy Kenny said.

"It often was in families that people followed each other into the force - that's not happening anymore.

"We need to look to non-traditional places that Gardaí can be recruited from, including our new communities, including people who have come from abroad into Ireland," he added.

Latest figures show there are 14,211 Gardaí in the force.

The Government has pledged to increase that to 15,000 and beyond.