Trevor Sargent (Dublin North, Green Party)
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Question 140: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the mileage claimed by members of jail visiting committees; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10870/05]

Michael McDowell (Dublin South East, Progressive Democrats)
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The number of miles recorded on the financial management systems in my Department for members of the prison visiting committees for the period January to December 2004 is 282,629 at a cost of €295,432.69. As I have previously explained, a visiting committee is appointed to each prison under the Prisons (Visiting Committees) Act, 1925 and Prisons (Visiting Committees) Order, 1925.

Vouched expenses for travel and subsistence are paid, on the authorisation of the prison governor, in line with Civil Service rates. The Deputy will be aware that it is my policy to appoint all new members of prison visiting committees to a prison in their home county or a neighbouring county. In past years, each visiting committee has undertaken an annual visit to another prison institution for instructional purposes in order to compare facilities and conditions in other institutions against their own prison. I have instructed that such visits should now only take place where the majority of the members of the visiting committee have been newly appointed, thereby reducing travel and subsistence expenses.

These new policies have resulted in significant savings for the Irish Prison Service. The total travel and subsistence expenses paid to members of the prison visiting committees in 2004 amounted to €338,540.58 as compared to €656,435.53 in 2002, which represents a drop of 48%.