Michael D Higgins (Galway West, Labour)
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Question 85: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the recommendations of the special group on the public service numbers and expenditure report that he plans to implement during 2010; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19595/10]

Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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A number of the measures in the Special Group Report (McCarthy) have been implemented at this stage in order to achieve reductions in the Departments Estimates for 2010. These relate to the programmes in a range of subheads which include Gender Mainstreaming, Graffiti Removal Operations, Equality Monitoring Consultative Committees, European Refugee Fund and Refugee Integration. The McCarthy Report recommended a total reduction of some €5 million in respect of these particular items. The actual budgetary reduction was €6.92 million.

A significant proportion of the recommendations (€84 million) related to reductions in payroll costs on items such as allowances payable to members of the Garda Síochána and the Prisons Service. In common with all Departments, there are significant reductions in payroll related provisions in 2010 to take account of the reductions in payroll rates and other factors. The overall reduction in gross payroll budgets for the Justice Sector compared with the 2009 estimate is in the region of €126 million.

A number of recommendations were made by the McCarthy Group on structural reform and rationalisation across the Justice and Equality Sector. The Deputy will be aware of the recent announcement by an Taoiseach, where the Equality and Disability sectors of the Department together with the Human Rights Commission are transferring to the renamed Department of Community, Equality and Gaeltacht Affairs. The arrangements to transfer these functions together with the relevant budgets and staffing resources are now well in train.