Michael D Higgins (Galway West, Labour)
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Question 18: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the position regarding contacts he has had with the Human Rights Commission regarding difficulties it will face as a result of his decision to cut their budget by 24% for 2009; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46748/08]

Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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As I indicated in my contribution to the budget debate I 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 substantially reduce their spending on consultants, advertising, promotional activities and other non-core items.

I met recently with the President and CEO of the Commission to discuss their financial situation and my Department is, of course, available to assist them in every practical way possible. I consider that there is sufficient funding provided to enable them to discharge their core functions. I would also remind the Deputy that the Human Rights Commission was, this month, awarded a supplementary estimate of €250,000 in order to assist them in discharging outstanding bills and expenses for 2008.

Both the Commission and the Equality Authority, the other body with which they are to integrate facilities with, 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.

I can also state that I am prepared to agree at this stage that these 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.