Vol. 500 No. 7
361 Mr. Shatter asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the number of probation and welfare officers currently employed; the nature of the functions being undertaken by them; and the courts, where appropriate, to which they are attached. [5120/99]
The number of probation and welfare officers currently employed is as follows: probation and welfare officers, 144; temporary probation and welfare officers 12; senior probation and welfare officers, 34.5; assistant principal probation and welfare officer (1* with an allowance to act as Deputy), 7*; principal probation and welfare officer, 1.
The main role of the probation and welfare service is as follows: the provision of probation and related service to the courts; the provision of reports to the courts in criminal cases and the supervision of offenders; the operation of the community service order scheme; the provision of a welfare service to the prisons and places of detention; the operation of a number of hostels, workshops day centres, any programmes for ex-offenders and people under the supervision of the service and young people at risk of offending, many of whom are from disadvantaged areas.
The Probation and Welfare Service operates in every District Court area and as required in the Circuit Criminal Courts, and on occasion in the Central Criminal Court.
