I welcome the opportunity to meet the select committee as it considers the 2011 Revised Estimates for my Department. As members will be aware, the Government has inherited a very difficult economic situation. Like other incoming Ministers across all Departments, my legacy from the previous Administration is a level of resources that makes it very challenging to deliver core services across the justice sector, the fourth largest Vote group in the public sector in terms of resource provision behind the Departments of Social Protection, Health and Education and Skills. The Vote group comprises a large and significant range of subheads. There are approximately 60 subheads within my Department's Vote and separate Votes for An Garda Síochána, the prisons, the courts and the Property Registration Authority. In all, the gross financial allocation available to the Vote group in 2011 is €2.431 billion which is made up of current expenditure of €2.351 billion and capital expenditure of €80 million. When adjustments are made for recently transferred functions and once-off expenditure items, the current expenditure allocation is in the region of €80 million less than the corresponding allocation in 2010. As far as capital is concerned, after adjusting for a once-off item, this allocation is in excess of €20 million, that is, 20%, less than the 2010 allocation. That being said, it is incumbent on us all to manage with fewer resources and come up with new and smarter ways of doing business.
In terms of resource provision, the Garda Vote is by far the largest in the justice group, accounting for 63% of the overall gross budget for the group. In all, 90% of the Garda budget is made up of pay and pensions costs. Currently, there are 14,262 serving members and nearly 2,100 civilian staff. In addition, there are 761 attested Garda Reserve members, with a further 181 at various stages of training. The committee will be aware that currently there are no Garda recruits in training. This is consistent with the objective of the previous Government to reduce the size of the force to 13,500 members by the end of this year and 13,000 by the end of 2014. As I have indicated recently, this is a matter I will keep under close review, but the reality is that the financial circumstances in which we find ourselves do not allow for further recruitment at this point. It is important to keep this in perspective: the strength of the force exceeded 13,000 members for the first time during 2007 and, even at that stage, the number of civilians working in the force was far less than the current level. The clear message is that, while it is likely there will be a further reduction in the strength of the force in the next year or so, there are significant numbers of gardaí and other personnel available to support the Commissioner in carrying out the important work of An Garda Síochána.
Under the public service agreement 2010-14, otherwise known as the Croke Park agreement, there are significant proposals being developed around rostering arrangements which will more closely match the availability of staff with policing demands. Other objectives under the agreement include having Garda compensation claims dealt with by the State Claims Agency, in respect of which legislation is well advanced, co-operation with enhancements to Garda training, the implementation of agreed reporting arrangements involving Garda members and civilian support staff, and identifying the maximum scope for civilianisation of posts in the force which could be filled through redeployment and co-operation with a new agreed ICT strategy.
On paper, the 2011 budget represents a small increase on 2010 Garda expenditure but only because it includes an additional superannuation allocation of €80 million compared to the 2010 outturn to cover the retirements envisaged in 2011 to reduce the number of Garda members. If this figure of €80 million is excluded, the budget represents a reduction of 5% when compared to the 2010 outturn. This masks more significant reductions in several areas, for example, the Garda overtime budget for 2011 has been reduced from in excess of €78 million to €62.2 million. Shortfalls in several other subheads are presenting major challenges in 2011. For example, the Garda transport subhead figure has been reduced from almost €28 million to €14.5 million, a 48% reduction. It is inevitable, despite the savings made on the officeholder fleet implemented by the Government shortly after taking office, that it will be difficult to resource this subhead.
On a more positive front, An Garda Síochána is taking a proactive approach to introduce the necessary changes and is continuing to maximise the use of the resources available to it. The national digital radio system has been rolled out throughout the country and provides members with leading edge communications equipment to carry out their functions. The provision for the ongoing cost of this equipment is included in subhead A4, Postal and Telecommunications Services. In a further development, the operation of safety cameras has been outsourced to a private sector operator with an estimated saving of 16,000 man hours when the cameras are operating at full capacity.
In discussing the Garda Estimate for 2011 it would be remiss of me not to mention the massive Garda effort involved in the recent State visits. The vast scale of the security operation put in place by An Garda Síochána to protect the security of Queen Elizabeth II and President Obama was commensurate with the real security threats involved and the risk of great reputational damage to the country in the event of anything going wrong. The cost of the operation was significant and I am informed that the final figure is likely to be in the region of €36 million. It is important, however, that the cost is balanced against the substantial, long-term benefits to the country in terms of favourable press coverage and free advertising, in particular through the international televised media. Moreover, when considering the overtime and other payroll costs involved, it is important to remember that a significant proportion of these will be returned to the Exchequer through taxation and levies. The Estimates were framed before the full impact of the visits and the associated security costs were known and, as a result, could not and do not include provision for these costs. This is clearly a matter that must be discussed further by the Government as expenditure in all Vote groups becomes clearer in the coming months.
The net Estimate available to the Department of Justice and Equality Vote in 2011 is almost €355.2 million. This is made up of gross current expenditure of €397.7 million, a capital budget of €4.6 million and a receipts target allocation of €47 million. In all, there are 60 subheads in the Vote, covering a range of administrative areas of the Department, as well as commissions, legal aid, immigration and asylum, probation and youth justice services, equality, integration and disability, charities and other services ranging from the Garda Complaints Board to Cosc, the executive office of the Department which is leading the way in raising awareness and the co-ordination of measures to address issues in the area of domestic, sexual and gender-based violence.
Several offices and bodies have come back under the responsibility of my Department following the recent reorganisation of Departments to match the needs of the economy and society. The organisations in question are in the human rights, equality, disability and integration areas and were transferred to the former Department of Community, Equality and Gaeltacht Affairs during 2010. Various functions in the charities area have also come within the remit of my Department, including the Office of Charitable Donations and Bequests which had a separate Vote previously. Responsibility for charities regulation is now within the remit of my Department. Responsibility for the disbursement of funding to promoters of certain charitable lotteries is now also within the Department of Justice and Equality Vote, having previously been funded through the Department of Finance.
To support the Garda in the fight against organised and other serious crime I am keen to retain, as far as is possible, current funding levels to offices such as the Criminal Assets Bureau, the State Pathologist's Office and the Forensic Science Laboratory. These organisations provide crucial services in criminal investigations. The success of the Criminal Assets Bureau is well documented and through its activities paid more than €7 million from the proceeds of crime into the Central Exchequer Fund in 2010.
While there is capital funding available in the current year for the development of the new facility in Marino for the State Pathologist's Office in a joint venture arrangement with Dublin City Council, there has been a delay in the project because the original contractor went into receivership in 2010. It is necessary to re-tender for the project and this will be completed as soon as the capital funding provision for future years becomes clearer. Similarly, the Office of Public Works has advised that the building of a much needed new facility by it for the Forensic Science Laboratory is also subject to the outcome of the capital review of expenditure 2012 to 2016 under way throughout Departments. I expect the position of these two projects to be somewhat clearer when the review is completed.
There are serious challenges facing other areas of the Vote. I refer, in particular, to the immigration service. This year's budget in subhead D1, Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service, INIS, is 18% less than in 2010. I have been working closely with the INIS since coming into office and significant progress continues to be made in several areas. I am particularly pleased that the waiting list for citizenship applications is being tackled in a systematic way with immediate results. Under the new system, save in exceptional circumstances, persons applying for citizenship will be given a decision on their application within six months. This is the target in dealing with citizenship applications. I hope that by the time we deal with the Estimates next year this target will be achieved.
I have long held the view that the formal granting of Irish citizenship should be recognised as a major and important event. The recent citizenship ceremony held in Dublin Castle was an appropriate way to mark the significance of the occasion. Further citizenship ceremonies to facilitate the formal granting of citizenship to a considerable number of people will be taking place on three days during the last week in July. We are considering arranging ceremonies outside Dublin also. It is intended to hold a ceremony either in August or September in Templemore. We are considering holding ceremonies in Cork and elsewhere in order that they will not be solely Dublin-focused and that those who seek citizenship and are resident in other parts of the country will not for the purposes of participating in a ceremony be required on all occasions to come to Dublin.
I am especially pleased that my Department has been able to contribute in a positive way to the Government's jobs initiative through the innovative visa waiver scheme for certain categories of visitor to Ireland. The scheme is designed to assist in the promotion of Ireland as a quality tourist destination for markets which hitherto were not regarded as traditional source countries for tourism to Ireland. It will have real and tangible benefits for the nationals of the 14 or so countries participating in the scheme who currently require a visa to come here and it will provide a much needed shot in the arm for the hard pressed tourism industry which accounts for significant employment in the State. Last year approximately 30,000 people from the participating countries were issued visas to come here. These visitors helped to provide and maintain jobs in the economy. With this measure, we anticipate that we can grow this market and thereby generate more jobs. I have received good feedback from the ambassadors of some of the countries to which the scheme applies. They predict it will substantially increase the number of visits to this country in the coming 12 months.
A gross allocation of €347.6 million is provided in 2011 for the prisons Vote, excluding a carryover of €2 million of unspent capital from 2010. Taking the €2 million carryover into account, the total capital budget available in the Vote is €36.4 million in the current year, a significant part of which will be spent on the construction of a new accommodation block at the Midlands Prison and the provision of further spaces for female prisoners at the Dóchas Centre in the Mountjoy Prison complex. I have recently received the report from the committee established to review the Thornton Hall prison project. I am in the process of reviewing the report, which has yet to be furnished to the Cabinet. This report will inform further developments regarding the development of prison spaces. After the report has been furnished to the Cabinet, it will be published and made available to members.
One area I am particularly anxious to see addressed as soon as possible is the unacceptable practice of prisoners slopping out. This is an inhumane practice for both prisoners and those working in the prisons. At present, 72% of prison accommodation has in-cell sanitation. Needless to say, all new prisons spaces coming on-stream have this facility and the position also will be significantly improved once two in-cell sanitation projects currently under way in the C-wing in Mountjoy Prison are completed later this year. The challenge of eliminating the practice of slopping out in some of the remaining outdated accommodation, mainly at Mountjoy and Cork prisons, is not to be under estimated and is an issue I will continue to address with the director of the Prison Service.
The budgetary estimate for the Prison Service has to be considered in the context of the increase in prisoner numbers in recent years. The number of prisoners in the system between 2008 and 2011 has increased by 25% from 3,556 to 4,450, which illustrates the pressure the budget is under. The numbers on temporary release also have increased over this period from an average of 208 in 2008 to 885 in the current year. In the context of the increased demand on the service, it is essential that the Prison Service continues to make progress with regard to the transformation programme. The first tangible evidence of this has been that the new accommodation block for 200 prisoners, which was opened at Wheatfield Prison in October 2010, is being staffed on a more efficient staffing model based on the principles set out in the Public Service Agreement 2010-2014.
The programme for Government sets out clearly the Government's objective in respect of sentencing policy and penal reform. I am fully committed to implementing the Fines Act 2010 and extending the use of community service orders. These measures, where appropriate, are less costly and will reduce the prison population, thus alleviating overcrowding in the process. Similar to other areas in the justice sector, the financial realities of the day are keenly felt in the Prison Service. It is not an option for the service to put up a "no vacancy" sign on a prison gate as it clearly must accept the prisoners referred to it by the courts. However, through a combination of smarter work practices under the transformation programme and a committed approach to utilising other options to imprisonment for certain categories of offence, my objective is to reduce some of the pressures on the system before too long.
As for the courts Vote, the gross allocation for the Courts Service of €112.1 million is 25% lower than the expenditure for 2010. Part of the reduction of more than €36 million in monetary terms is accounted for by a once-off VAT payment of €17 million in 2010 pertaining to the new Criminal Courts of Justice, CCJ, complex, which was delivered by way of a public private partnership, PPP. Similar to 2010, the current year budget includes an annual annuity repayment of €21.163 million in respect of this building. In common with other areas in the justice sector, the demand on the services of the courts is also on the increase against a background of declining budgets. Like the other areas, the Courts Service is proactive in managing its operations and the resources available. The measures being taken include a major restructuring programme, incorporating the rationalisation and closure of venues, increased use of information technology to eliminate manual work practices and strong contract management to achieve better value in the day-to-day running of the courts in areas such as interpretation, legal and ICT services.
On Vote 23 for the Property Registration Authority, PRA, the net Estimate is €35.172 million. The bulk of the provision relates to salaries, which account for €27.138 million or 77% of the total net allocation. The other main area of expenditure relates to the maintenance of information technology and the development of new systems on which the PRA is heavily dependent for improved efficiency and quality customer service. A provision of €2.588 million is made in subhead A3 for payments to Ordnance Survey Ireland, the State-licensed mapping agency, for the supply and usage of mapping data.
In 2010, the Property Registration Authority returned €30.5 million in fees to the Exchequer. Fee intake depends on the volume of applications lodged which, in turn, depends on the activity levels in the property market. In 2010, 87% of the net voted expenditure of €35 million was offset by fees returned to the Exchequer. The impact of the investment in technology undertaken in recent years has been highly significant and the PRA has now reached a point whereby all its textual records and mapping records have been fully digitised. The digital mapping project was fully completed ahead of time and within budget in mid-2010. In addition to the output of cases and the provision of searching and certification services, the PRA provide a range of additional services to State and semi-State organisations.
The justice sector, in common with other Vote groups, has suffered a reduction in the resources available to it and I have inherited as I noted at the outset a difficult budgetary situation. The sector must do all it can to maintain service levels in respect of its many core functions on the criminal justice side of operations in particular. The challenge for me and management and staff at all levels across the sector is to be innovative and resourceful in the way business is carried out. The justice sector is fully committed to the transformation agenda and I will continue to use the legislative programme, where appropriate, to create a better framework in the fight against crime and arrive at smarter and better ways of doing things across the sector. The comprehensive review of expenditure, which was recently carried out across the sector and is under consideration at present, has given much food for thought. While some of the proposals need further consideration and evaluation, there is scope for increased co-ordination and interaction between all the areas involved in the criminal justice sector. This increased co-ordination will assist in reducing inefficiencies in the system and ensuring the best use is made of all available resources. There are other issues relating to the justice area on which I could have addressed members. I have no doubt but that they will raise them in response to my remarks. I am happy to address any questions members may raise and to deal with any points that arise with specific regard to the Estimates before the committee.
Deputy Joanna Tuffy took the Chair.
