Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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119. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality the changes that will be required in her Department's 2017 budget to account for the extra €25 million allocated towards pay issues post-budget; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2899/17]

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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The additional €25 million in exchequer funding has been allocated directly to the Garda Vote to meet the costs of the Labour Court recommendation. This has led to an overall increase in the Justice Group (consisting of eight Votes) expenditure ceiling for 2017 compared with Budget Day.

The remaining cost of circa €25 million represents less than 1% of the total budget for the Justice sector. In identifying the underspends needed to offset this cost within the Vote Group, I am of course conscious of the need to maintain the resources necessary for the delivery of the front-line services in all areas of the sector. Of its nature, prudent management of budgets always requires careful and ongoing assessment throughout the year and the exact nature of the total adjustments to be made will only become clear over the course of the year but will, naturally, incorporate any underspends in areas such as administrative and legal expenses and any surplus receipts which are generated across the sector.