Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 2: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform his views on the recommendations of the report of the Special Group on Public Service Numbers and Expenditure Programmes relating to his Department; the recommendations in this regard which will be implemented during 2010; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46387/09]

Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

The recommendations in the special group report, the McCarthy report, have been taken into account in the budget negotiations for 2010 for the justice sector. The proposed savings in the report in respect of the sector were €136.4 million. In monetary terms, a significant proportion of the recommendations - €84 million - related to reductions in payroll costs on items such as allowances payable to members of the Garda and the Prison Service.

In common with all Departments, there will be reductions in payroll-related provision in 2010 to take account of the reductions in payroll rates. Final figures in this respect for the justice sector will be published in the REV early next year. In addition to these payroll reductions, the budgets in a number of programme subheads have also been cut to deliver the savings required by Government. A number of these cuts are also in line with the recommendations of the McCarthy report. These amount to reductions of €6.92 million across a range of subheads, which include gender mainstreaming, graffiti removal operations, equality monitoring consultative committees, the European refugee fund and refugee integration. The McCarthy report recommended a total reduction of €5 million in respect of these items.

As the Deputy will be aware, further recommendations were made by the McCarthy report on structural reform and rationalisation across the justice and equality sector. Decisions in respect of many of these recommendations will be a matter for decision by Government in due course and expenditure reductions that may arise will be included in the budget for the sector in future years. In addition, for the sake of completeness, arising from administrative savings efficiencies, including a sector-wide approach to procurement, across the Vote group, savings of €10 million will be realised this year, including €3 million saved on foot of an 8% reduction in the cost of fees, goods and services in the sector. These will be incorporated into baseline budgetary figures for administrative subheads in subsequent years. I also indicated in my budget statement that I will introduce a new system of means testing for applications for criminal legal aid. This proposal is also in line with the McCarthy report recommendations.

Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context

I thank the Minister for his reply. I have been trying to get his reaction to the McCarthy report for some time and his position up to now has been that its recommendations were in the mix in the budgetary discussions. The budget has come and gone. The McCarthy report contains a huge wodge of proposals relating to his Department and I am not clear from his reply which of them he is taking on board and which he is not. It is manifest that the bulk of the savings in the Garda Vote are pay-related. Will the Minister put into effect any of the reforms suggested in the report? Other than the reference he made to programmes dealing with the abolition of graffiti and so on, none of the areas covered by the report was mentioned in the Minister's reply.

Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

The McCarthy report involved other people, unlike the claim on radio earlier. I never considered it to be gospel that we had to implement every suggestion made. If that was the case, we might as well have let Dr. McCarthy and whoever else was in the group deal with the Department. Ultimately, I am the person responsible to the Oireachtas regarding policy decisions and I will make such decisions. The Accounting Officer is responsible for spending. I will not implement a number of the recommendations in the McCarthy report, as I will find the money elsewhere. Even the Opposition spokespersons would not agree with them.

Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context

I did not imply the Minister is not the person responsible or that Dr. McCarthy is taking over from him. I did not comment on the merit of the proposals, as I am merely trying to elicit information from him regarding which recommendations he will implement and which ones he will not. I have not obtained that.

Given the main savings he has made relate to pay and, for example, Garda members are up in arms about their treatment in that regard and have threatened industrial action, does the Minister intend to intervene in the dispute? Does he intend to allow the ballot to go ahead? If so, how does he intend to respond to that?

Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

The McCarthy report made a number of suggestions regarding payroll costs not only in regard to the Garda but across the justice sector, as it did in other areas. The Government must bear those in mind but, ultimately, it has to make decisions, as I have to in regard to my own budget.

I have made my position clear on the Garda issue. The Government - and the Oireachtas - will agree that we cannot countenance gardaí going on strike. That would be an affront to democracy and that view is held by the wider public. I have been in touch with the Garda Commissioner regularly regarding the recent announcement by the Garda Representative Association, GRA, and I am aware of the discussions he has had with the GRA. I suggest strongly, as I did over the past few days, that the GRA should again reflect on its position in that its members are not being asked to take more pain than any other sector in society.