Written answers

Thursday, 20 October 2005

Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform

Computerisation Programme

5:00 pm

Photo of Bernard DurkanBernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 155: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the number and cost of all information technology or other high tech facilities provided to his Department in the past five years; the extent to which each facility is operating efficiently and in accordance with value for money criteria; if PULSE is evaluated in this context; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29979/05]

Photo of Michael McDowellMichael McDowell (Dublin South East, Progressive Democrats)
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In the time available for response it has not been feasible to assemble the full range of data requested. I can, however, inform the Deputy that expenditure under the main IT capital and current subheads of the Votes under my Department's aegis — justice, courts, prisons, Garda, Land Registry — for the years 2000 to 2004 amounted to €172.933 million or 1.7% of total accumulated expenditure. To place this spend in context, the total accumulated expenditure on all services for the period in question for the five Votes in my Department's Vote group was close to €10 billion.

This expenditure relates to a wide range of organisations with varying and often complex business needs and includes hardware, system development as well as consumable and maintenance costs. I am satisfied that the application of information technology across these public services is contributing towards improved delivery and value for money. This spend included the provision of IT systems for immigration/asylum processing, financial management systems, national criminal case tracking, prisoner records, scanning and imaging documents in the Land Registry, network capacity enhancements and significant numbers of other projects — all of which are aiding the delivery of public services within the justice and equality sector.

In so far as PULSE is concerned, a post-implementation review of the system will take place when work currently ongoing is completed. This review will take place next year and will encompass value for money criteria.

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