Austin Deasy
Ceist:41 Mr. Deasy asked the Minister for Justice if he will outline (a) the cost of providing a protection service for moneys belonging to the banks and (b) the amount which is paid by the banks in return for this service.
Written Answers. - Bank Security Service Funding.
I am informed by the Garda authorities that the current costs of services provided by the Garda Síochána for the security of bank moneys are not readily available and I am of the view that to ask the Garda authorities to specially compile them would require the expenditure of Garda time to an extent that could not be warranted. It was the practice some years ago to compile what was described as "approximate figures" for costs for cash shipments for banks or other privately-owned financial institutions and I can inform the Deputy that the last such figure — complied in 1986 — suggests that the total cost, at the time, was something in excess of £1 million per annum.
Up to now, the costs of these services have been met from public funds. However, as the Deputy will be aware, the Minister for Finance announced in his recent Budget Statement that he proposed to seek a contribution from the banks towards the costs to the Garda Síochána and the Defence Forces of providing these services and that he was making a provision of £2 million in 1992 for this purpose.