Billy Timmins (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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Question 158: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the number of outstanding warrants in the process of execution; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21114/08]

Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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I am informed by the Garda authorities that the numbers of bench warrants, penal warrants and committal warrants which were recorded on the PULSE system as being on hand on 23 May, 2008 are set out in the following table. It is inevitable in any criminal justice system that at any given time there will be a significant number of warrants awaiting execution. It should be borne in mind too that the vast majority of the outstanding warrants relate to financial penalties, and not to violent crime. The Gardaí continue to give priority to the enforcement of warrants arising in serious cases. Aside from the large volume of warrants being issued, there can also be unavoidable reasons why warrants can take time to execute or, indeed, prove ultimately unenforceable. It is the case that many individuals would be subject to multiple warrants, and many are trying to evade Garda attention through moving to different addresses.

Of its nature, it is difficult to be precise as to what level of outstanding warrants at any point in time represents the optimal situation. The amount of warrants outstanding has to be seen partly from the perspective that the strength of An Garda Síochána is now over 13,800.

I am further informed that the Garda authorities are committed to strengthening the warrants enforcement process. The Commissioner has raised the issue of the execution of warrants with each Regional Assistant Commissioner and a range of measures, aimed at reducing the number of warrants on hand, have been identified and are being implemented. These measures include the re-assignment of additional Gardaí to this function. I understand that the position is being closely monitored by senior Garda management and consideration is also being given, at an organisational level, to further measures to address the situation.

I am also taking a number of steps to deal with this issue. A particular difficulty is that cases relating to the non-payment of fines clog up the courts system, since the Gardaí have to seek warrants to enforce their payment. A pilot project was introduced by my Department, under which outstanding fines were in effect pursued in terms of debt collection by an outside agency, rather than moving directly to the stage where the Gardaí seek a warrant. The result of the pilot suggests that as an alternative method of fine collection this proved successful. The Department, in consultation with the Gardaí and the Courts Service, is considering how best to take this forward.

The Third Programme of Law Reform of the Law Reform Commission has been approved by Government and is now underway. It includes an examination of the enforcement of court orders and the service of proceedings in both civil and criminal cases, in particular the procedure for the execution of bench warrants and search warrants. This topic was included because it is recognised that there are significant difficulties in this area at present and that the procedural problems in this area have resulted in inefficient use of resources.

The Garda Commissioner and I are aware of the importance of an efficient warrants process and will continue to monitor the operation of the system particularly with a view to making whatever changes may be necessary to improve its operation.