Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 174: 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 VFM criteria; if PULSE is evaluated in this context; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22215/06]

Michael McDowell (Dublin South East, Progressive Democrats)
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I can inform the Deputy that Expenditure under the main I.T. 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 €172.933m (1.7% of total accumulated expenditure). Figures relating to 2005 are not yet available for publication.

As the Deputy will appreciate, this expenditure relates to a wide range of organisations with varying and often complex business needs and includes hardware and 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 a wide range of I.T. systems and applications, all of which are aiding the delivery of public services within the Justice and Equality Sector.

Insofar as PULSE is concerned, I informed the Deputy in a reply to a similar question last October that a post implementation review of the system will take place when work that was ongoing at that time was completed. The majority of this work was completed in April and this review will take place later this year as expected and will encompass value for money criteria.