Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 15 Jun 1994

Vol. 443 No. 8

Written Answers. - Probation and Welfare Official Appointments.

Mary Flaherty

Question:

29 Miss Flaherty asked the Minister for Justice the reason only 18 of the staff of the 31 guaranteed in the Programme for Economic and Social Progress agreement of 1991 to the probation service to carry out the probation supervision programme had been recruited by December 1993.

Liz McManus

Question:

31 Ms McManus asked the Minister for Justice if her attention has been drawn to calls made by the probation and welfare branch of the public service union, IMPACT, for the appointment of an additional 100 probation and welfare officers, particularly to facilitate the greater use of non-custodial sentences; if so, her response to the call; and if she will make a statement on the matter.

Minister for Justice (Mrs. Geoghegan-Quinn)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 29 and 31 together.

In December 1993 — some five months prior to the publication of the IMPACT document — I announced that the number of probation officers would be substantially increased as part of the Government's commitment to the increased use of community-based sanctions.

An extra 50 probation and welfare officers will be recruited over the next three years. In addition, I have also obtained approval to fill seven vacancies and to recruit a further 13 staff for the Intensive Probation Supervision Scheme as set out in theProgramme for Economic and Social Progress. The total of 70 extra staff being recruited will represent an increase of over 40 per cent in the strength of the service by 1997.

In my policy document/five year plan for the management of offenders, which I intend to publish shortly, I will be announcing an important new initiative in the development of community sanctions and measures.