Written answers

Tuesday, 5 November 2013

Department of Justice and Equality

Public Sector Staff Issues

Photo of Pearse DohertyPearse Doherty (Donegal South West, Sinn Fein)
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74. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of staff reductions there will be following the recent budget announcements across the justice sector. [45965/13]

Photo of Alan ShatterAlan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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Budget 2014 poses no specific job reductions on the Justice Sector. Indeed, The Deputy will be aware from the allocations made on Budget Day that the gross budget for the Justice Sector in 2014 will be close to €2.16 billion. I am glad to say that funding for current expenditure of just under €2.1 billion is €137m more than the previous government had allocated under their National Recovery Plan 2011-2014 and brings to more than €400m the additional funding I have secured over and above the amounts allocated by the previous Government.

Despite this increase in funding, the Justice sector is not immune from the overarching need to remedy the damage done to our public finances by the mismanagement of the previous administration. The sector must, of course, help reduce public expenditure and correct our public finances by operating within the Employment Control Frameworks which apply across the civil and public service. For the end of 2014 the ceiling has been set at 21,890 for the Sector, while the current level of staffing in the Sector is approximately 22,400. But I wish to ensure that we play our part in a strategic and targeted manner.

I am particularly pleased that Budget 2014 provides me with the resources to maintain the targeted objective Garda strength at 13,000 members. I was pleased to announce recently a recruitment competition for the Garda Síochána, which will see new student Gardaí entering the Garda College in 2014 - the first Garda recruitment since the previous Government stopped recruitment in 2009.

In tandem with the maintenance of Garda strength, it is also important to maintain the management and supervisory capacity of the Force. Since the Government took office, a significant number of derogations from the moratorium on appointments have been secured so that 88 Sergeant; 40 Inspector; 53 Superintendent; 17 Chief Superintendent; 4 Assistant Commissioner; and 1 Deputy Commissioner appointments could be made.

Arising from the recent Referendum a Court of Appeal will be established. Officials of my Department and the Courts Service are working to identify the staffing numbers required to establish the Court of Appeal and any necessary sanctions will be sought from my colleague the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform.

The Justice Sector has taken its share of reductions in recent years as we work to restore the nation’s fiscal sovereignty. I am very proud of what continues to be achieved across the sector, despite the reduced resources. I will continue to fund front-line services to the greatest extent possible and I am very pleased that funding can be maintained for areas such as the Forensic Science Laboratory and the Criminal Assets Bureau, which play a central role in supporting Gardaí in the fight against organised and other serious crime.

As I said on Budget Day there are definitely positive signs, including the maintenance of the targeted objective Garda strength at 13,000; substantial investment in the Garda fleet; the commencement of a Garda recruitment campaign; building programmes in relation to An Garda Síochána, Courts and Prisons, through the PPP model and direct investment are advancing; and reform initiatives continue to deliver across the sector. None of this could have been achieved if, as Minister for Justice and Equality, I had to cope with over €400m of further cuts which would have been imposed under the previous administration's so-called National Recovery Plan 2011-14.

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