Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The budget announced yesterday marks a significant step forward for Ireland. It is a budget that is fair, progressive - as just outlined by the Minister of State - responsible and forward-looking. It is fair in respect of the 80,000 people taken out of the USC net and it provides for thousands of much-needed social housing units to be built over coming years. It supports families in which the parents return to work and makes support for those people a priority. It provides more opportunity for people to move into the workplace, get education and get training. The best way out of poverty is through job opportunities.

It is progressive in that the changes announced to income tax and USC will benefit low- and middle-income workers earning up to €70,000. It is responsible in that it avoids the reckless mistakes of the past - mistakes of tax and spend, boom and bust - that got us into the crisis in the first place. It is forward-looking in that it seeks to consolidate the recovery and support yet more job creation. Our income tax changes alone are estimated to support 15,000 new jobs. We know the number of new jobs created. We know how unemployment has fallen for 27 months in a row. The budget kick-starts sustainable plans for tax reform, housing development, and the further and ongoing development of the public service. Witness the announcements in the education budget on special needs assistants, support for schools, the schools building programme and new teachers. The important point is that because of decisions taken by the Government, the way the Minister for Finance has negotiated interest rate changes, increased confidence in the country, our reputation regained, the negotiations with the IMF and the promissory note changes, we have choices.

Instead of cutting back, there is the opportunity to build on the progress made, refrain from implementing expenditure cuts and give something back to our hard-pressed citizens. As a result of decisions taken by this Government, we are in a position to do so. That is not to say challenges do not lie ahead or that it is now easy for people. It has been a difficult period and it remains difficult, but this is a very significant inroad into the recovery that we need for our citizens, that individuals and families need and that we need as a society.

I will speak about the justice and equality element of the budget. It is a forward-looking budget for the justice area, which will secure better policing across the country and underpin the major reforms we are undertaking in that sector. It is a breakthrough budget for the justice sector, with yesterday's allocation representing the first year-on-year budget increase since 2008. That is significant, and it is why I call this the beginning of a breakthrough for this sectoral budget. Relative to the expenditure ceilings for 2015 published this time last year, the current allocation has increased by €96 million, or 4.6%, to €2.156 billion. The capital envelope has increased, which is important, as three new divisional headquarters will be built for An Garda Síochána. That will help local economies, with construction jobs in those areas. We will also continue to deal with the very poor estate we had in the Irish Prison Service, which is changing in Mountjoy and Cork. It will happen in Limerick as we proceed, and such a process is important for a range of reasons.

A total of €1.42 billion has been allocated to the Garda Vote and €368 million has been allocated to the justice and equality Vote, with the only change being the €6 million allocated for current expenditure for the new Irish Human Rights Commission. It is important that the organisation now has an independent Vote separate from the justice Vote. A total of €325 million has been allocated to the prisons Vote, €107 million has been allocated to the courts Vote, and so on. The budget for the Vote group can be broken down as follows: 73% pay- and pensions-related expenditure, 22% non-pay expenditure and 5% capital. As I have indicated, the overall allocation on the current side is up by €96 million and the capital side has increased by €45 million.

Given what I mentioned about the experience of the past six years, it is important to note that these increases have not come about because of reductions in other areas of the Vote group. That is a key point. In areas where no increases have taken place, services for the most part will continue on the basis of 2014 funding. This is a good place to be for the justice Vote after six very long, lean and difficult years. We can now go forward and make a difference. This is not an increase just for the sake of it but rather to further reforms and give better delivery in policing, our courts and our prisons. This is a much more positive backdrop than we have had in any year since 2008.

This gives me the scope to address a number of key priorities in the justice area. The increase of €40 million in the budget for Garda pay for 2015 will allow me to proceed with my objective of recruiting new gardaí. I am pleased to confirm to the House that, as announced yesterday, there will be further intakes of recruits to the Garda College in Templemore over the next couple of months. There will be 100 Garda recruits starting in December and another 100 in January 2015; that is in addition to the 100 recruits who have started already. As part of the reform of An Garda Síochána, there will be increasing civilianisation. This will be not just for the sake of it but rather in areas where we know it can work. The issue has been carefully worked through, discussed and delivered. For example, in Dublin Airport there are 75 civilian staff in areas previously manned by gardaí, although gardaí will continue to be in Dublin Airport and do the priority work on which they should focus. There will be another 75 gardaí freed up for front-line duty who at this stage do visa or board of management work throughout the country. Effectively, this amounts to 450 more gardaí available in the course of 2015 for front-line work and policing in the communities. They will take up duty in our cities, towns and communities and get on with the task of fighting and preventing crime.

Throughout 2015 I will continue to monitor Garda levels and consider retirement numbers. This process can be somewhat unpredictable as it involves individual decisions. I will examine staffing levels during the year with a view to agreeing further intakes to the Garda College as required.

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