Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein)
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886. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality if he will provide the annual saving to the Exchequer of a 20% reduction to all professional fees, including but not limited to legal, consultancy, IT related, advisory, advertising and accountancy; the company name and the amount invoiced between 1 June 2012 and 31 May 2013. [34581/13]

Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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I wish to refer the Deputy to my reply to PQ No. 884 of the 16th July 2013 which covered the period from the 1st of June 2012 to 31st May 2013 and identified a total of circa €61.3m inclusive of VAT in professional Fees paid over this period.

The annual savings of a 20% reduction in Professional Fees at this rate would be in the Region of €12.3m, inclusive of VAT.

Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein)
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887. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality if he will provide in tabular form the annual saving to the Exchequer of 1%, 5%, 7%, 10%, 12%, 15%, 17% and 20% reduction to travel and expenses for his Department.; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34597/13]

Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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The estimated annual savings which would apply to the Justice and Equality Vote (Vote 24) from reductions in travel and subsistence expenses based on the percentages outlined by the Deputy are as follows;

Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein)
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888. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality if he will provide in tabular form the annual saving to the Exchequer of a 5%, 7%, 10%, 12%, 15%, 17% and 20% reduction to training and development for his Department. [34613/13]

Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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The total spend for my Department on training and development for 2012 was approximately €1,105,238. This would have included expenditure such as training courses provided internally and externally, refunds of educational fees, attendance at seminars and conferences and membership of professional bodies fees.

The table below sets out the effect that the various percentage decreases would have on expenditure on training and development, using the 2012 figure as a base. It should be noted, however, that the spend for 2012 was a reduction of 24% on the previous year. A small amount of that reduction may be attributed to the changes in the structure of my Department during the years in question, however, budgetary constraints have resulted in a reduction in expenditure in this area over a number of years. Every effort has been made, however, to ensure that this reduction was achieved with the minimal effect to the delivery of a comprehensive schedule of courses and development programmes for staff.

Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein)
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889. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality if he will provide in tabular form the annual saving to the Exchequer if all his special advisors' pay was capped at the first point of the principal officer grade; if he will provide a list of all salaries, post implementation of the Haddington Road Agreement paid to his special advisors. [34629/13]

Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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At the outset I wish to remind the Deputy that public service pay policy is a matter for my colleague the Minister for Public Expenditure & Reform.

In my capacity as Minister for Justice and Equality I have appointed Ms Jane Lehane and Mr Thomas Cooney as my Special Advisors. They are both paid at the Principal Officer standard scale. At the time of their appointment the salary scale was €80,051 - €98,424 and the only increases to their salaries has been by way of normal incremental progression.

Both have progressed to the 3rd point of the scale which would be approximately €6,000 above the 1st point, however, taking account of tax and pension related reductions the net savings to the Exchequer in capping their salaries at the 1st point would be considerably less that that figure.

The application of pay adjustments in accordance with the Financial Emergency Measure in the Public Interest Act has reduced their salary scale to €75,647 - €92,550. Restrictions on the payments of increments under the Haddington Road agreement will apply in both cases.