Jim O'Keeffe (Cork South West, Fine Gael)
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Question 371: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the staffing and administration costs of the head office of the Legal Aid Board in Caherciveen, County Kerry; and the number of staff and the grades involved. [27913/05]

Jim O'Keeffe (Cork South West, Fine Gael)
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Question 373: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the additional costs related to having the headquarters of the Legal Aid Board based in Caherciveen, County Kerry regarding the Legal Aid Board; and the additional travel and related costs arising therefrom. [27915/05]

Michael McDowell (Dublin South East, Progressive Democrats)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 371 and 373 together.

The number of staff posts at the offices of the Legal Aid Board in Caherciveen is 44, including three dual location posts. The breakdown of the grades involved is as follows:

The associated salary cost for 2004 is €1.681 million.

While the separate administrative costs of the board's office in Caherciveen are not readily available, I am satisfied that the costs of the operation are broadly in line with those which pertain generally in the public service. Since the board's law centres are located throughout the country in any event, it is not possible to isolate any additional travel and related costs which might have arisen as a consequence of basing the head office in Caherciveen.

The decentralisation of the board's head office has been a success, and I am pleased to say that the board and its staff have made good progress in recent times in significantly improving waiting times for its clients, thereby enhancing the service provided to the public.

Jim O'Keeffe (Cork South West, Fine Gael)
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Question 372: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform when the 2004 annual report for the Legal Aid Board will be available; and his views on whether such reports will be available within three months of the ending of the accounting year. [27914/05]

Michael McDowell (Dublin South East, Progressive Democrats)
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Section 9(1) of the Civil Legal Aid Act 1995 provides that the Legal Aid Board shall make, not later than 30 September each year, a report to the Minister of its activities during the preceding year. The Deputy should also note that the Civil Legal Aid Act requires that the board's accounts be submitted for audit to the Comptroller and Auditor General and that the report of that audit be laid before the Oireachtas. As the report and the associated financial statements of the board form an integral part of the annual report, finalisation of the document in any given year is dependent on the receipt of the audit report.

I can inform the Deputy that, as far as the 2004 annual report is concerned, following receipt of the Comptroller and Auditor General's report on 30 June, the board submitted its report to me on 5 July, and its contents were noted by the Government on 25 July.

I understand that the report was subsequently translated into Irish, as required under the Official Languages Act, and that printing and delivery is expected to be completed within the next week. The report will be laid before the Houses of the Oireachtas very shortly thereafter.