Finian McGrath (Dublin North Central, Independent)
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Question 501: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if he will support a matter (details supplied). [14655/10]

Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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The Probation Service of my Department is supported in its core work in the community by over 50 projects. Perhaps it is helpful to the Deputy and the House if I begin by saying that this year my Department will provide funding in the region of €11m to these projects which are spread across all constituencies. To the best of my knowledge all of the projects operate with community support and but for the voluntary participation of local people who agree to sit on the boards of management of the projects the State could not support the various client groups in the community thus assisting in reintegration, improving job skills and generally assisting in increasing community safety and reducing the cost to business and society of crime.

Like all streams of taxpayers' funding it is important that we constantly monitor and evaluate such funding and the Department undertook a Value for Money and Policy Review of all Funded Projects. The report was published on my Department's website on 2 September 2008. The conclusions were broadly favourable, recognising the importance of the support provided by community based projects to the work of the Probation Service. The Probation Service has a dedicated unit in place within its structures to implement the range of recommendations set out in the report and to constantly examine the added value provided by individual projects.

Having put our support for community projects in broad context let me return to the Project the subject of this Question which has operated in the Dublin 1 area for the past 15 years. Let me set out what the Project does: it provides an intensive supervision programme for male offenders, in the 20 to 25 years age group, in the greater Dublin area who are subject to Probation Service supervision. It can cater for up to 12 clients at any one time and the programme is delivered during office hours from Monday to Friday. Those who come to the project do so by appointment. The programme itself is delivered by a multidisciplinary team with the Probation Service as the lead agency. The other partners are the City of Dublin VEC and FÁS.

For absolute clarity let me again say that this project is not an addiction treatment centre, a drop-in centre, or a residential centre. The project has the benefit of 15 years experience in its current premises delivering a necessary service.

Turning to plans to move to new premises a 25 year lease, operative from June, 2008 is in existence. In August 2009 approval was given to the Board of Management to tender for the fit-out of the proposed new premises. The work was advertised on e-tenders by the project and contracts were awarded last December.

During the negotiations for the lease my Department was advised by the Chief State Solicitors Office and it had no reason to believe the planning permission for a change of use, from commercial to office use, obtained by the landlord prior to the Department's interest in the ground floor space was not valid. However, the Department has been made aware that queries have been raised around the status of the planning permission in existence in recent times. In fact, issues around planning were brought to attention by letter on 22nd March by the Planning and Enforcement Office of Dublin City Council. Those matters are being examined in consultation with our legal advisers and my Department's response to the letter of the 22nd March was submitted yesterday. It would not be appropriate to comment further at this stage pending consideration of our response by the Council.

I would also like to put on record that neither I nor my Department has now, nor in the past, any interest in circumventing planning regulations in order to move the work of a project that has operated in Dublin 1 for 15 years to more suitable premises within Dublin 1. All our negotiations were done in good faith and the issues that came to attention are being examined as quickly and as diligently as possible.

I trust the Deputy will accept the bona fides of this project, which has been running in the inner city for a considerable number of years, supporting some of the most vulnerable citizens in the Capital to lead more constructive lives. It is long recognised that targeted interventions do help reduce re-offending and, in turn, foster community safety and reduce the cost to business and private citizens. The project — based on its 15 years of experience — now needs new premises to continue its valuable work. Deputies on all sides will recognise that I have a duty to balance the taxpayers' interest having committed substantial funding to the fit-out and rent of a city centre premises and the House may be assured that I will be conscious of this responsibility in attempting to deal with the issues around the planning situation.