Written Answers. - Probation and Welfare Service.
Paul McGrath
Question:
318
Mr. McGrath
asked the
Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform
the reason the necessary funds to extend the probation and welfare service have not been provided in view of the cost effectiveness of the service and the recommendations of the expert group on this service; and the future plans, if any, there are for the probation service.
[4483/99]
Seán Barrett
Question:
319
Mr. Barrett
asked the
Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform
the reason, at a time when £1 billion is being spent over ten years on a prison programme and with Ireland having one of the highest prison populations in Europe, the Government has failed to implement the primary recommendation of its own expert group for a £2.5 million investment in the probation service to enable it to effectively continue its cost-effective and vital rehabilitative functions.
[4605/99]
Richard Bruton
Question:
320
Mr. R. Bruton
asked the
Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform
if his attention has been drawn to the case made by IMPACT that the £2.5 million investment in the probation and welfare services would be highly cost effective and that further delays would be most undesirable.
[4647/99]
Tony Gregory
Question:
321
Mr. Gregory
asked the
Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform
the main recommendations of the expert group on the probation and welfare services; and the timescale for their implementation.
[4648/99]
Tom Enright
Question:
322
Mr. Enright
asked the
Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform
if he has received the report of the independent expert group on the probation and welfare service published on 2 November 1998.
[4701/99]
Tom Enright
Question:
323
Mr. Enright
asked the
Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform
the plans, if any, he has to implement the main recommendation of the expert group on the probation and welfare service by increasing the number of senior and clerical support; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[4702/99]
Theresa Ahearn
Question:
324
Mrs. T. Ahearn
asked the
Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform
if he will implement the recommendation of the independent expert group on the probation and welfare service that the number of basic grade officers be increased from 148.5 to 225 with an appropriate increase in the number of senior and clerical support; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[4595/99]
Róisín Shortall
Question:
337
Ms Shortall
asked the
Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform
when he will implement the main recommendations of the expert group on the probation and welfare service; his views on whether this type of service is more cost-effective to the taxpayer than detention; when he will increase the number of basic grade probation and welfare officers to 225; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[4122/99]
Billy Timmins
Question:
343
Mr. Timmins
asked the
Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform
when he will implement the main recommendations of the expert group on the probation and welfare service which recommended that the number of basic grade probation and welfare officers be increased from 148.5 to 225 with appropriate increases in the number of senior and clerical support.
[4308/99]
Deirdre Clune
Question:
345
Ms Clune
asked the
Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform
the consideration, if any, he has given to the implementation of the report of the expert group on the probation and welfare services; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[4418/99]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 318, 319, 320, 321, 322, 323, 324, 337, 343 and 345 together.
The expert group on the probation and welfare service in its first report, published on 2 November, 1998 made a number of recommendations as follows:–
1.An increase in staff numbers and that staff recruitment be streamlined.
2.That the service needs to develop a PR strategy.
3.An up-to-date IT system must be established.
4.A staff training analysis be carried out.
5.Comprehensive research facilities should be available within the service.
6.Insurance cover regulations for community service projects be changed.
In relation to staffing matters, there are 15 vacancies in the basic grade of permanent probation and welfare officer and the Civil Service Commission is currently recruiting staff to enable these posts to be filled in the first half of 1999. As regards the additional 65 probation and welfare officers and the ten other senior staff and clerical support staff recommended in the expert group's report, my Department is considering the recommendation made by the expert group, in consultation with the Department of Finance.
The group is continuing its work and I am awaiting the group's second report.
In relation to providing a comprehensive public information and awareness programme I am sure the Deputy will agree that much of the excellent work done by the probation and welfare service goes unnoticed and I will be looking at how best a public relations initiative can be progressed to promote knowledge about the current and future development for the service.
As regards an IT package for the service, it has been possible to make progress by putting in place local area networks in the probation and welfare offices. These are being installed at present and a considerable amount of computer hardware has been purchased. I hope that by the end of 1999 there will be a comprehensive information technology system in place. My Department will also be implementing a comprehensive training programme for the new IT system and will take into account other additional training needs as they arise.
The probation and welfare service has a small research unit and when the extra staff and the improved IT system are in place this will allow for the development of more detailed statistics and data.
As regards community service projects and related insurance issues, I will examine this whole area with a view to providing easier and more cost effective insurance cover for people doing community service work.
In addition, my Department is financing two research projects as follows:
(a)The evaluation of the operation of the Criminal Justice (Community Service) Act, 1983, which is currently being carried out under the auspices of the Centre for Criminal Justice under the direct management and supervision of the Director of the Centre, Professor Dermot Walsh, University of Limerick.
(b)A study on public attitudes regarding the treatment of offenders in the community as part of an ongoing research programme into various aspects of the criminal justice system was recently carried out by the research and evaluation services. The study will form part of the Irish Social Omnibus Survey and was carried out on 1,000 members of the public. My Department is awaiting this report.
Finally, as regards whether this type of service is more cost effective to the taxpayer than detention, I am fully committed to the development of community sanctions and measures as an alternative to custody and as a means of combating crime. My Department's probation and welfare service has a significant role to play in this regard.
The effectiveness of any sanction or sentence imposed by the courts must be the criteria for assessing costs. Custody facilities are by their very nature labour intensive and more costly to manage. It is recognised that community sanctions are cost effective.
However, there are other factors which must be taken into account in measuring cost effectiveness, such as assessment of risk to the community at the sentencing stage and the management of risk; the concerns and the protection of the community and the reduction in opportunity for re-offending.
Measuring the outcome of cases is an important criteria. International research shows that the probation services are achieving value for money. The probation and welfare service of my Department is no different.
