Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 5 Mar 1997

Vol. 475 No. 8

Written Answers. - Departmental Reports.

Ivor Callely

Question:

165 Mr. Callely asked the Minister for Justice the number of reports or studies which have been commissioned by her since her appointment; the cost of each report in each case; whether the report has been made publicly available; and if not the reason, therefor. [6118/97]

Bertie Ahern

Question:

166 Mr. B. Ahern asked the Minister for Justice the number of consultants' reports commissioned by her Department since she took office; the number which have been completed; and the cost to date. [6134/97]

Minister for Justice (Mrs. Owen)

I propose to take Question Nos. 165 and 166 together.

The information regarding reports or studies commissioned by me up to 28 January 1997 are as stated in Parliamentary Questions Nos. 64 and 240 of 28 January 1997.

Excluding professional-technical consultants engaged for prisons buildings and building services design and supervision of construction-installation, further details sought by the Deputies in respect of reports and studies either commissioned since then or which are in progress or finalised are set out in the following tabular statement:

Purpose of report, review, study	Costs involved	Was report published	Reason for non publication
	£
To review the selection procedures for the recruitment into the Garda Síochána to ensure they reflect the core competencies required for effective performance in the job of Garda. (Contract sought — not yet awarded).	40,000(estimated)	No-Not yet under way
Support for financial systems specifications development for Land Registries (Coopers & Lybrand).	20,812	No-Not completed.
Health and Safety Audit for Land Registries (Nifast).	18,267	No-Not completed.
Inquiry into allegations that Probation Officers had failed to report complaints of sexual abuse made by a victim against a named person. (Retired Judge).	4,850	No-Confidential Report which is still under consideration.
Report of the Study Group on the establishment of an Independent Prisons Agency.	Incidental meeting expenses.	No	Report has just been received. It will be brought to Government as soon as possible.
Report of the SMI Steering Group to oversee and report to the Government on the implementation of the programme of action for organisational change in the Department.	Nil	No	Report for the Government.
Financial study for the Land Registries on taxation implications (Price Waterhouse)	5,808	No	Report was required for internal decision making.

A total of ten consultants' reports commissioned by the Department since the Minister took office, have been completed to date.

The position about publication of the reports is as set out above. The above statement does not include payments within the courts building programme to various consultants (e.g. Architects) appointed by the local authorities, who are acting as the Department's agents. Under the terms of the Government decision of March 1990, such consultants' fees are reimbursed by my Department.

In relation to the reports and studies as set out in the previous answer the following reports and studies have been made publicly available: report by advisory group on charities-fundraising legislation; inquiry in the Department of Justice into the delisting of Judge Dominic Lynch from the Special Criminal Court panel; report on the violence at Lansdowne Road during international soccer match between Ireland and England on 15 February 1995; and working group on a Courts Commission. (i) First Report — Management and Financing of the Courts; (ii) Second Report — Case Management and Court Management; (iii) Third Report — Toward the Courts Service.

Some of the reasons that the remainder of the reports and studies have not been made publicly available are as follows: the confidential nature of the report-study; the report-study has not yet been completed; the report-study was carried out to provide necessary information on which to base an internal management decision.

Aside from the specific matters, set out above there are, of course, ongoing studies and research undertaken in my Department as part of normal day-to-day work.