John McGuinness (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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Question 370: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the elements of the report of the Special Group on Public Service Numbers and Expenditure Programmes that have been implemented to date by his Department; his plans to implement any aspects of the plan in the future; if the overall plan has been assessed by his Department; and if so, his views on the benefits of the plans. [28118/10]

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 Department's 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. Decisions in respect of many of these recommendations will be a matter for decision by Government in due course and expenditure reductions that may arise will be included in the budget for the Sector in future years. The Deputy will be aware of the recent transfer of functions in relation to the Equality, Disability, Integration and Human Rights areas from my Department to the Department of Community, Equality and Gaeltacht Affairs.

While it was never the intention that the full €134 million reduction recommended in the McCarthy report would be delivered in 2010, significant progress in this regard has been made. This is through a combination of the recommendations in the report and other measures being taken as part of the Government's budgetary policy.