Written answers

Friday, 16 December 2016

Department of Justice and Equality

Garda Remuneration

Photo of Dara CallearyDara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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7. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality the way in which she will fund the Labour Court recommendations (details supplied) made since budget day; if she will revise the estimates based on that decision; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36754/16]

Photo of Frances FitzgeraldFrances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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I welcome the decision by Garda Representative Association and Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors members to accept the independent recommendation of the Labour Court which sought to address the concerns that have been articulated in relation to their pay and conditions, the pay and conditions of new recruits, and their access to the statutory dispute resolution bodies.

Arising from recent discussions with the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, the cost of the Labour Court recommendation is being met through a combination of additional exchequer funding and funding from within the existing budgetary allocation for the Justice Vote Group.

An additional €25 million in exchequer funding is being provided to the Garda Vote in the RevisedEstimates to meet the costs of the recommendation. This will lead to an overall increase in the Justice Group expenditure ceiling for 2017 compared with Budget Day. The remaining cost of circa €25 million will be met from within the Justice Sector. This represents less than 1% of the overall Justice Group allocation of €2.572 billion for 2017.

In identifying the necessary savings within the Vote Group, I am of course very conscious of the need to ensure that the resources necessary for the delivery of the front line services in all areas of the Justice Sector are protected. By its nature prudent management of budgets will require careful and ongoing assessment throughout the year; as such the exact nature of the savings to be made will emerge during the course of the year.

This process has commenced in the Revised Estimates in that a reallocation of €4.35 million to Garda Pay from the Justice and Equality Vote has been made. In addition, part of the additional cost is met from reallocating funding from superannuation to payroll within the Garda Vote.

The sources of the remaining adjustment within the Justice Vote Group will be fully determined based on budgetary and expenditure trends across the Group during 2017. It will take into account any under spends in areas such as administrative and legal expenses and any surplus receipts which are generated across the sector.

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