Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)

As I said in response to the third issue raised by Deputy Gilmore when he was asking supplementary questions, we will work with the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, which is a public sector organisation. The issues that apply to other offices, which are having to make these changes and adapt to these circumstances, also apply to the DPP's office. The number of staff in the office's directing and solicitors divisions have remained relatively unchanged in the past two years. Most of the savings have been made in the administration division. This has allowed the office to achieve savings and efficiencies while preserving front line prosecution services to meet the needs of its workload. The Department of Finance recently sanctioned the temporary recruitment of up to four solicitors to cover for staff on maternity leave in 2011. It has also sanctioned the recruitment of three temporary solicitors to deal with files relating to the banking and financial sectors. This will enable the DPP to assign existing experienced staff to the banking files, while using the temporary appointments to fill posts in other areas.

These issues are arising all the time in the present circumstances. The changes in staff numbers in the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions in recent years have taken place in the context of the solid staffing base that was put in place in the office in 2007. Following a review of staffing requirements at that time, the Minister for Finance approved 28 new permanent posts and one contract post for the office. Some 21 of those posts related to legal and professional grades, which was a reflection of the increase in the volume and complexity of the work being undertaken by the office. Officials in the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, the Department of the Taoiseach and the Department of Finance are making an ongoing effort to work together to ensure the necessary resources are available.

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