Joe Costello (Dublin Central, Labour)
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Question 38: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if his attention has been drawn to the concerns expressed by the Irish Human Rights Commission regarding the implications for it of the decision to cut by 24% the commission's budget for 2009; if he plans to meet the commission to discuss these concerns; if he will give an undertaking that adequate financial provision will be provided to allow the commission to discharge its statutory functions, particularly having regard to the role for the commission set out under the Good Friday Agreement; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40164/08]

Joanna Tuffy (Dublin Mid West, Labour)
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Question 59: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the reason for the cut of 43% in the allocation for the Equality Authority for 2009; if he will give an undertaking that adequate financial provision will be made to allow the authority to discharge all its statutory functions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40166/08]

Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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Question 64: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if he will make a statement detailing the rationale underpinning the decision to fully integrate the facilities, back office, administrative services and access to citizens of the Human Rights Commission and Equality Authority and to cut their combined budget by approximately40%; the way it is envisaged that this integration will operate in view of the fact that the Equality Authority are decentralising to County Tipperary while the HRC are remaining in Dublin; if he will offer guidance to the HRC on the way it should meet its full operating costs on a new budget of €1.6 million when its staff costs alone stand at €1.5 million; his views on the conclusion of the HRC that the new budget is unworkable; and if he will reconsider and reverse the cut. [40224/08]

Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 38, 59 and 64 together.

The context in which financial provision has been made by the Government for the Human Rights Commission and the Equality Authority for 2009 is as indicated in the Budget announcement of 14 October 2008. In both cases, while I accept that reduced budgets will cause some difficulties, I also consider that there is sufficient funding provided in 2009 for these bodies to enable them to discharge their core activities. My Department is, of course, available to assist them in every practical way that is possible. I am willing to meet with these bodies to discuss the implications of the Budget for their operations.

I would also remind the Deputies that the provision in 2009 for the Equality Tribunal — the body which actually adjudicates on individual claims of inequality — has been increased by 15% to reflect the priority which I feel should be give to persons who have a grievance in this respect.

On a more general level, I should also state that as I indicated in my contribution to the budget debate I had decided that the main priority in the Justice area in 2009 will be tackling crime. In that regard, decisions about funding reflect that priority with the result that in a small number of areas budgets have been reduced significantly. Moreover, in line with Government policies generally I have asked all bodies to significantly reduce their spending on consultants, advertising and promotional activities and other non core items.

In relation to the matter of integrating administrative and back office facilities between the Equality Authority and the Irish Human Rights Commission, my Department is currently examining the issues which need to be addressed in order to achieve these efficiencies. These areas are likely to include shared IT and telecommunications facilities as well as office accommodation which is being addressed in the context of the decentralisation to Roscrea of the remaining elements of the Equality Authority. I also understand that the two organisations themselves have already had discussions in order to move matters forward.

Both of these agencies currently operate from separate Dublin City centre office premises which have a cumulative per annum rental cost of over 800.000 euro. I firmly believe that significant efficiencies and savings can be realised by both bodies — and possibly others as well — sharing office facilities. Moreover I can also state that further substantial savings will be realised by the completion of the transfer of further Equality Authority staff to Roscrea. These savings are likely to be of the order of 300,000 euro or about 10% of its budget.

Finally, I can also state that I am prepared to agree at this stage, that savings may be used by both of the bodies in question to supplement their budgets in meeting the costs of discharging their core functions. I want to emphasise that this does not mean an increase in the published budget of either body and neither does it mean that the savings in question can be used for advertising or any other public relations type activities. In other words, I do not propose to redistribute the savings to meet other expenditure requirements across my Vote Group.