Community Service is a valuable sanction available to the courts as an alternative to imprisonment. It is used mainly in the District Courts, which of course deal with minor offences, but it has been used in a small number of cases in higher courts and is administered by the Probation and Welfare Service.
The aim of Community Service is to re-integrate the offender into the community through positive and demanding unpaid work for between 40 and 240 hours.
I wish to advise the Deputy that I have no further plans in relation to Community Service orders at this time.
The estimated average cost of a Community Service order, based on 2001 figures, which is the most recent figures available, is €1,500. This estimate includes the cost to the Service of staff time associated with supervising an offender (with appropriate overheads) and an estimate of the cost to the Probation and Welfare Service of an offender's participation.
The other statistics requested by the Deputy are set out in tabular form.
Number of Offenders in respect of whom a Community Service Order was made in 2003.
|
Region
|
Male
|
Female
|
Total
|
|
Eastern
|
314
|
34
|
348
|
|
Southern
|
287
|
20
|
307
|
|
Western
|
229
|
9
|
238
|
|
Total
|
830
|
63
|
893
|
Number and type of offence for which Community Service Orders were imposed in 2003.
|
Type of Offence
|
Number of Community Service Orders
|
|
Assault
|
136
|
|
Sexual Offences
|
2
|
|
Arson
|
3
|
|
Burglary
|
33
|
|
Malicious Damage
|
55
|
|
Robbery
|
15
|
|
Embezzlement, Fraud and Extortion
|
18
|
|
Forgery
|
10
|
|
Larceny
|
108
|
|
Receiving Stolen Goods
|
15
|
|
Shoplifting
|
7
|
|
Driving Offences
|
134
|
|
Interfere with mechanism of MPV
|
2
|
|
Passenger in a stolen car
|
9
|
|
Unauthorised taking of MPV
|
18
|
|
Breach of Barring/Protection Order
|
1
|
|
Breach of Peace
|
116
|
|
Drugs offences
|
52
|
|
Drunkenness Offences
|
37
|
|
Failure to Appear after remand on bail
|
6
|
|
Possession of an offensive weapon
|
11
|
|
Possession of firearms
|
1
|
|
Possession of h/b implements
|
3
|
|
Miscellaneous
|
101
|
|
Total
|
893
|
