asked the Minister for Justice the reason the working hours of the Garda Síochána juvenile liaison officer scheme have been revised to a Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. operation.
Written Answers. - Garda Juvenile Liaison Officer Scheme.
67.
Arising from the major review of public expenditure launched after this Government came to office, the Garda Authorities examined all aspects of the service provided by the force to see where savings could be made without seriously affecting the level of Garda service provided for the community.
It was in this context that the Garda Authorities came to the conclusion that certain specialist services, including the juvenile liaison officer scheme, could be reorganised on the basis of a five-day Monday to Friday roster, rather than a seven-day roster. I should point out that the revised working week for juvenile liaison officers allows for flexible rostering and is not confined to the hours of 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. There has been no reduction in the number of hours of duty performed by juvenile liaison officers.