Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (Donegal North East, Sinn Fein)
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204. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality the estimated cost of every person on community service on a hourly and weekly basis. [24717/13]

Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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The Probation Service is currently undertaking an updated study of community service costs which will include identifying the average hourly and daily costs. However, based on 2010 figures, I can inform the Deputy that the average cost of a Community Service Order was €2,200. The average number of hours worked was approximately 150. It should be noted that the maximum number of hours allowed for by the Criminal Justice (Community Service) Act, 1983 is 240.

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (Donegal North East, Sinn Fein)
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205. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of persons that were sentenced to community service in the years 2011 and 2012 and the durations of same. [24718/13]

Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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The Deputy will be aware that, under the provisions of the Courts Service Act 1998, management of the courts is the responsibility of the Courts Service and I have no role in the matter. Section 4(3) of the 1998 Act provides that the Courts Service is independent in the performance of its functions, which includes the provision of statistics. However, in order to be of assistance to the Deputy, I have had enquiries made and the Courts Service has informed me that the number of persons who were sentenced to community service by the District Court in 2011 and 2012 was 2,497 and 2,266 respectively.

A breakdown of District Court sentences of community service is set out in the table below. The total periods of community service imposed in each year is greater than the number of persons sentenced as indicated above because individuals can be sentenced to two or more separate periods of community service.

In addition, I am informed that the Circuit Court sentenced 134 persons to community service in 2011 and 160 in 2012. The Service was not in a position to provide a breakdown by hours in respect of the Circuit Court.