Vol. 486 No. 6
285 Dr. Upton asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if he will establish a system to manage statistics related to the work of his Department to ensure efficient work practices; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3337/98]
My Department already compiles statistics in respect of some of its areas of responsibility and is working towards enhancing the work already carried out by the use of information technology for this purpose.
Last year my Department commissioned a study by Coopers and Lybrand of the information technology needs of the Department in the context of the major organisational reforms now under way, in particular the setting up of the Courts Service and Prisons Authority and the recently announced expert group review of the Probation and Welfare Service. This study has now been completed, its recommendations approved and additional resources have been provided in the 1998 Estimates for all Votes under my aegis. This significant new investment further demonstrates the Government's practical commitment to new information technology systems for the justice area. Underlying this investment is a commitment to appropriate integration of systems.
Some 20 projects have been identified for completion over the next three years. Among the major projects identified is a detailed analysis of the information flows between the various agencies in the criminal justice system under my aegis. It is expected that this project, together with the development of major case tracking systems within the courts and prisons areas and the delivery of Garda operational systems under the PULSE project, will provide detailed statistical information on occurrences and trends, enabling quantitative research and lay the foundation for the increasingly effective use of technology in the criminal justice system.
Comprehensive statistics on the prison service were included in the annual report on prisons and places of detention up to 1993. In 1996, a decision was taken, in order to expedite the publication of the backlog of annual reports, to publish separately the statistical element from the main body of the reports.
The lack of resources to provide comprehensive information technology in the prisons has inhibited the preparation of both the annual statistics and statistics of an ad hoc or once-off nature for reply to parliamentary questions, press queries etc. This matter has now been addressed and resources have been made available this year for the replacement of the out of date and partially computerised prisoner records system. Planning for the new system is at an advanced stage.
