Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 17 November 2004
77 Mr. English asked the Minister for Defence the number of members of the Defence Forces who are involved on a day to day basis in providing security for cash in transit vehicles; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28774/04]
View answer94 Mr. Boyle asked the Minister for Defence if he will report on his plans to alter the practice of providing Army security escorts to the banks; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28809/04]
View answer111 Ms Lynch asked the Minister for Defence when his review into the cost of the Army providing security escorts for bank cash transits will be complete; the reason he recoups only just over 40% of its costs on providing these security services, whereas the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform recoups 90% from the gardaí for providing similar services to banks here; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28827/04]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 77, 94 and 111 together.
To aid the civil power, meaning in practice to assist, when requested, the Garda Síochána which has the primary responsibility for law and order, including the protection of the internal security of the State, is among the roles assigned to the Defence Forces. In this regard, the Defence Forces assist the gardaí as required in duties, which include escorting cash deliveries to banks, post offices and other institutions.
Earlier this year my Department conducted a review of the costs of cash escorts and the relative contribution of the banks to these costs. An annual contribution of €2.86 million is paid by the banks in respect of cash escorts. This figure was set by the Department of Finance in the 1995 budget and has not altered since. This contribution from the banks was designed to part-cover the total costs to the State of providing cash escorts. At that time, the contribution from the banks covered approximately 72% of the total cost arising to the Defence Forces, which includes pay and allowances. Based on annual costings by my Department, the relative level of the contribution has fallen in real terms over the years to the situation where it now only covers 43% of the total costs. The review also found that over 79% of all cash escorts are in respect of deliveries to banks.
The total cost in respect of the provision by the Defence Forces of assistance to the Garda Síochána in protecting movements of cash for the years 2000 to 2003 — the 2004 costs have not yet been finalised in my Department — including pay, allowances, transport and aerial surveillance, was as follows:
|
2000 |
2001 |
2002 |
2003 |
|
€5.70m |
€6.58m |
€6.87m |
€6.64m |
These costs related to the following numbers of requested escorts:
|
2000 |
2001 |
2002 |
2003 |
|
2,285 |
2,488 |
2,516 |
2,335 |
For the first nine months of 2004, approximately 1,825 escorts took place. In any given month approximately 1,592 army man days are expended in relation to these escorts.
My Department is currently in communication with the Irish Bankers' Federation with a view to increasing the contribution and I will meet the chief executive of the Irish Bankers' Federation soon to progress the issue. Pending the outcome of those discussions, I do not believe it would be helpful to elaborate on any proposals to alter current cash escort practices. However, it may be the case that modern satellite tracking technologies and the use of more robust security vehicles could provide options in relation to the level of demand for armed cash escorts provided by the Defence Forces, where large cash consignments are being transported. At the end of the day, cash escorts are provided at the request of the Garda Síochána on the basis of their risk assessment and the Defence Forces will continue to respond to such requests as they arise.
