Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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Question 314: To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality the name of each body supported by him via funding in 2010 and in 2011; the way the proposed cutback of €12 million will affect each body; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39741/11]

Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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The reduction referred to by the Deputy will present a challenge to the running of my Department and the associated bodies included under Vote 24 (Vote 19 in 2011). Details of the various bodies concerned are listed on pages 171-173 of the recently published Part IV - Estimates for Public Services and Summary Public Capital Programme of the Comprehensive Expenditure Report 2012 - 2014.

The dreadful financial legacy inherited from the previous Government requires all of us to make difficult decisions and, like all other areas of public expenditure, there is no magic formula for generating money for the Justice area. We have a continuing obligation to contribute to the overall reduction in public expenditure that must be achieved in the public interest to enable our State regain economic sovereignty.

While the reduction in budget is challenging, we now have to plan to ensure that the most critical areas within the sector are prioritised for funding, and that the resources will be concentrated on those areas.

The 2006 Justice Vote current expenditure outturn was €362 million. The Department and the associated bodies concerned functioned with that allocation, and will continue to function properly with the new allocation.

The total current expenditure funding available to the Justice Vote for 2012 is €392 million. This covers nearly 60 subheads, and includes allocations of funding to agencies and organisations in the areas of immigration and asylum, equality, disability and human rights, charities, youth justice and others. This represents a reduction of €15 million and, in light of this, priority will be given to those organisations that are actually providing services and, accordingly, there will be limited funding available for non-governmental organisations which are largely engaged in an advocacy role.

In any given year, even if the overall funding available was the same as in the previous one, the amounts allocated to each of the various bodies included in the Justice Vote would not necessarily remain constant year on year. Similarly with 2012, those tasked with managing my Department and the various bodies funded from Vote 24 will take into consideration the annual fundamental task of managers everywhere when preparing their business plans for the year ahead i.e. the utilising of the resources available in order to achieve their business objectives.

I would also point to the significant transformation programme in place across the Justice Sector with the objective of ensuring that key front-line services are efficiently maintained in an era of reduced budgets and staffing resources. The transformation programme is examining every aspect of the way in which work is done and resources are deployed, with the objective of maintaining front-line services to the public to the maximum extent possible.

While much has been said about reduced budgets of late it should be borne in mind that some budgets are reduced as a result of greater efficiencies and savings. At the same time, other budgets have increased in order to meet new strategic objectives.

For example, funding of over €40 million, which represents a modest increase of €1.4 million over 2011 expenditure levels is being made available to the Probation Service in 2012, which will support a range of initiatives in this area, including the pilot project for an incentivised scheme for earned temporary release under which offenders who pose no threat to the community are offered early release in return for supervised community service.

I am also pleased also that there is funding in the Justice estimates of over €2.8 million in respect of the Family Mediation Service. This is reflected in the budget for the Legal Aid Board, which has recently taken over responsibility for the Service. It has also been possible, despite the difficult financial climate, to maintain the budgetary levels for both the Equality Authority and Human Rights Commission at broadly the same levels as in 2011.

There is, of course, a need to effect essential savings in the Criminal Legal Aid Scheme and in this context there is a reduction of €10 million on the expected expenditure level in 2011. However, the Government has recognised that in the current economic circumstances there are considerable pressures in the resources available to the Civil Legal Aid Scheme, and has maintained funding to the Scheme at existing levels. In addition, funding to the Free Legal Advice Centres has been maintained at 2011 levels.

Finally, I would also like to mention the substantial progress being made in relation to a number of proposals which emerged from the Comprehensive Review of Expenditure which has been undertaken across the Sector over recent months. In particular, the cross-cutting reforms which will be implemented across the Sector to ensure more streamlined interaction between the various components of the Criminal Justice system, with consequent efficiencies and cost savings for all concerned, and t he structural reform being progressed in areas such as the immigration and asylum areas, which aim to achieve a more streamlined and less costly operation while maintaining the current high levels of transparency and standards in operations. It is envisaged that the savings and efficiencies which will flow from these initiatives will help the Department and its associated bodies in their efforts to maintain and, where possible improve, the level of services they provide during times of reducing budgets.