Questions remain over the financial management of Winterval 2024, after Waterford City and County Council confirmed that it reported an issue to An Garda Síochána, according to an audit published in December.
The audit found that the Christmas festival ran almost €500,000 over budget. It also confirmed that the council referred a financial issue to the gardaí during its review of expenditure.
Independent councillor Donal Barry raised the matter at the council’s January plenary meeting, calling for clarity on the seriousness of the issue.
Cllr Barry asked what prompted the referral to gardaí, whether investigators substantiated any concerns, and whether similar issues had occurred in previous years. He called for a full analysis to maintain public confidence in how the council spends taxpayers’ money.
Executive Response
Responding to the concerns, Acting Director of Services Claire Hartley said the council reported the matter after identifying a delay in lodging funding.
Ms Hartley said the issue arose during a review of festival expenditure. She confirmed that the council notified the gardaí, who later determined that the matter did not meet the threshold for a criminal investigation and closed the case.
She also said the council believes no similar incidents occurred in previous years.
Addressing the overspend, Ms Hartley explained that invoices linked to Winterval 2024 received approval in 2025 and were charged to the wrong budget year. She said accounting procedures should have reassigned those costs to the 2024 budget.
Ms Hartley added that the council has begun a post-event review of Winterval 2025. She said festivals like Winterval now incur higher costs but also generate increased income.
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