Charles Flanagan (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 204: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the percentage of the probation service budget that is spent in relation to work in prisons; the average cost of the service's work in prisons and places of detention in 2007 and 2008; the ratio of prisoners per probation officer; the ratio of special category prisoner per probation officer; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2702/09]

Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

I wish to set out for the Deputy the primary function of the Probation Service — a key agency within the Criminal Justice System. The primary role of the Service is first and foremost to help reduce the level of crime in the community and thereby increase public safety by:

the effective assessment and management of offenders in the community;

challenging offending behaviour and encouraging changed behaviour; and

facilitating the integration of ex-offenders back to the community.

In meeting this mandate the Probation Service provides probation supervision, community service, offending behaviour programmes and specialist support services, to both adult and young offenders, with the aim of reducing re-offending. The core work of the Service involves:

preparing pre-sentence assessments for the Courts;

supervising offenders in the community who are referred by the Court;

supervising offenders released conditionally from custody; and

providing a counselling service to offenders and their families.

Whilst the Probation Service does work with prisoners in the prison setting, much of that work concentrates on helping the offender to prepare for reintegration back to the community by building links with statutory and voluntary organisation who can best support the individual needs of the offender. As the Deputy will appreciate successful re-integration to the community and positive family support are critical to helping the ex-offender re-build links and the Probation Service plays a vital role in this regard.

I am glad to say that my Department has worked with the Service over recent years to develop a more focussed role for the Service. This is manifested in its new senior management structure, increased level of staffing, significant funding and in the current Strategy Statement for the Service for the period 2008 to 2010. Quite correctly, in my view, the document places a clear emphasis on how the Service can contribute to increasing public safety by targeting its resources to core functions orientated towards involvement with ex-offenders in the community and helping them in the transition from custody to the community.

The management of offenders within the prison setting is primarily a matter for the Irish Prison Service. Significant resources are channelled into working with prisoners in a supportive way to link them in with services, provide workshop training and help deal with the diverse and often complex range of issues facing individual offenders. I am satisfied that the Irish Prison Service and the Probation Service work in a collaborative way to best meet offender needs in prison and in supporting re-integration back to the community.

I can tell the Deputy that, in keeping with the emphasis on providing community support to ex-offenders, there are 38 professional Probation staff out of a total of 323 providing a dedicated service to prisoners within the Prison system. The compilation of the other specific information sought by the Deputy would require a disproportionate amount of staff time and effort to prepare and could not be justified in current circumstances where there are other significant demands on resources.

Charles Flanagan (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 205: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the amount of the 2008 and 2009 gross budget of the probation service; the percentage of this budget which provides capital and operating funding to a range of projects that support the work of the service in 2008 and the forecast for 2009; the number of projects this service supported in 2007 and 2008 and which will be supported in 2009; and the average cost per individual project participant. [2703/09]

Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

The information requested by the Deputy is provided in the following table for the years 2007 and 2008.

As the 2009 estimates have not yet been finalised the information sought is not yet available. I can advise that a Value for Money and Policy Review of projects funded by the Probation Service which was published by my Department last September indicated that the average cost per individual project participant was €5,519.00 taking into account only the funding from the Probation Service. As the Deputy will appreciate, funding is made available from other sources to some of these projects and accordingly, I am not in a position to give any other information on individual participant costs.

Going forward, I want to see community projects continue to work with the Probation Service to deliver a focussed and measurable set of outcomes to the client group of the Service. I can assure the Deputy that my Department, through the Probation Service, will continue to support such projects having regard to budgetary provisions.

Charles Flanagan (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 206: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if he plans to re-open Harristown House in Roscommon; the reason for the closure; his views on the fact that the consultants only recommended a temporary closure of the house for six months to undertake strategic restructuring; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2704/09]

Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

I wish to advise the Deputy that the project ceased operation at the end of November, 2008. In my reply to a Parliamentary Question from the Deputy's colleague on the 14th October last I set out the background to the proposed closure of this project. My Department is fully committed to finding the best viable alternative model to assist the varied client needs of the Probation Service. I expect to shortly receive a proposal from the management of the Probation Service setting out a detailed new vision for Harristown House which will inform this process.

As the Deputy will appreciate we now have an opportunity to strengthen and refocus the delivery of a programme(s) to be run from the House. We must ensure that we have strong, strategic and committed partnership(s) in place to deliver the most appropriate service to the client group of the Probation Service. I expect to be in a position to make an announcement on the future of Harristown House in the coming months.