Written Answers. - Garda and Prison Service Pay.
Michael Noonan
Question:
26
Mr. Noonan
asked the
Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform
his views on the large amounts of overtime paid to gardaí and the prison service; the recommendations, if any, made to his Department in respect of the overtime being paid; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[19584/98]
Pat Rabbitte
Question:
65
Mr. Rabbitte
asked the
Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform
the plans, if any, he has to reduce the amount of overtime worked by prison officers by restructuring rosters or other measures, having regard not only to the financial cost, but also the health implications of this work; the number of hours of overtime worked by the prison officer who received £38,378 in overtime as reported by the Comptroller and Auditor General recently; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[20126/98]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 26 and 65 together.
In regard to overtime in the Garda Síochána, Garda management must have the flexibility to respond to particular incidents by drawing on extra manpower resources at short notice and the most cost effective and feasible way to do this is by use of overtime. Some level of overtime will, therefore, always be required because of the nature of Garda work.
I am concerned that the level of overtime expenditure suddenly increased in the period 1995-97 — from £16.8 million to £43.4 million — and that this trend has continued into the present year.
In response to my concerns, Garda management, in conjunction with officials from my Department and the Department of Finance, looked at Garda overtime expenditure over the last three to four years. It has been established that the areas of activity which have contributed most to the increase are investigation of crime, special operations — in particular, the anti-BSE operation — and attendance at court.
I am determined to see a Garda force which is both effective and gives the taxpayer value for money. There is scope for improvement in every organisation and I am of the view that the level of Garda overtime can be reduced without adversely affecting operational effectiveness. This is a matter that I will pursue with vigour. In particular, legislative changes are being implemented which should reduce the level of overtime expenditure associated with court attendance.
Developments in the area of management information systems now allow better monitoring of expenditure trends and I am insisting on a more proactive management of Garda overtime by senior gardaí using this facility. In the light of changing circumstances, the anti-BSE operation in the Border areas has been reoriented and no longer requires a substantial element of overtime. As Deputies know, the Government is committed to increasing the size of the force to 12,000 and as the increased numbers come on stream, this will ease the need for overtime.
Prisons overtime has been a problem for many years and this has been exacerbated by the pressure arising from overcrowding in our prisons and the opening of new accommodation. Basically, overtime in the Prison Service is needed when the number of staff available for duty on any given day is less than the number required to staff the posts which have been approved as being required to provide good order and safe custody. Additional demands in respect of escorts to courts, hospitals and other prisons and absences due to sick leave may also give rise to overtime.
My Department has been taking a strategic approach to solving the overtime problem since 1996 when the prison service operating cost review group was set up. This group comprises representatives from both the Departments of Justice, Equality and Law Reform and Finance, prison governors, the Prison Officers' Association and people from the wider public and private sectors. The group reported in August 1997 and concluded that the problem was not amenable to piecemeal reforms orad hoc cuts. Rather, it recommended a strategic approach which should commence with a thorough reassessment of staffing requirements aimed at establishing how the tasks of the Prison Service could be performed without overtime working.
It further recommended that this work should be followed by a process of consultation and joint design of an implementation programme with staff representatives. The report envisaged that the final phase of the project would involve negotiations with staff interests prior to implementation. The importance of a partnership approach with staff in order to ensure joint ownership of the future staffing arrangements of the service was emphasised by the group.
A dedicated team comprising senior Department and prisons management has now been set up to carry out this detailed review of prisons staffing issues and practices. The team has available to it the services of consultants from Europe and the UK who are expert in this area. I hope to receive the group's report in about six months, at which stage we will embark on the design and implementation phases of the project.
In the meantime, my Department will be pushing ahead with the productivity measures which were agreed with the Prison Officers' Association in the 1997 settlement under the Programme for Competitiveness and Work. We are also following a clear management policy aimed at controlling sick leave which accounts for a substantial portion of the overtime bill.
