Colm M. Hilliard
Ceist:442 Mr. Hilliard asked the Minister for Justice the reason for the extra spending of £49.2 million under subhead B of Vote 21 in the 1997 Estimates for the public service. [1463/97]
Vol. 473 No. 4
442 Mr. Hilliard asked the Minister for Justice the reason for the extra spending of £49.2 million under subhead B of Vote 21 in the 1997 Estimates for the public service. [1463/97]
The increased provision for 1987 under subhead B of Vote 21 — Prisons — of £49.201 million over the 1996 provision of £18.340 million is attributable to the accelerated prisons building programme which I am pursuing. This programme is designed to provide approximately 800 additional prison places over the period 1996 to 1998.
443 Mr. Hilliard asked the Minister for Justice the reason for the large increase in expenditure under subhead F of Vote 20 in the 1997 Estimates for the public service. [1464/97]
Subhead F of Vote 20 provides for the acquisition of air support for the Garda Síochána. As it became possible to have contracts placed earlier than anticipated, the Estimates provision of £200,000, under this subhead in 1996, was increased to £1.8 million by way of Supplementary Estimates approved by the House on 10 December 1996. The provision in the 1997 Estimates under subhead F of Vote 20 is £2.55 million.
The reason for the increase in the 1997 Estimates relates to my announcement on 12 December 1996 that contracts valued at £5.5 million has been assigned for the purchase of a helicopter and a fixed-wing aircraft for the newly established Garda air support unit.