Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 3 Feb 2009

Vol. 673 No. 2

Adjournment Debate.

Employment Regulation Orders.

Deputy Paul Kehoe

I very much appreciate the opportunity to raise this matter in the House. While I having nothing against the Minister of State at the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Deputy Kelleher, I am very disappointed the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Deputy Mary Coughlan, is not present. The issue I wish to raise is serious and the Government is not addressing it in the manner it should, especially given that we should be retaining jobs in various sectors. I have no doubt the Minister of State is well aware of the matter I am raising because many of my colleagues have raised it before. I raise it because many people have asked me to make representations on their behalf, particularly those involved in the restaurant, hotel and security businesses.

In recent days, it has come to light that hotels, restaurants and security firms are being forced to close shop and let go employees. They do not want to have to do this. The current circumstances are extremely difficult and should not be allowed to obtain in view of the current economic climate, in which businesses are struggling to survive and in which every attempt is being made to reduce costs across the board. I call on the Minister to address immediately the problem and use her clout to make changes in this area.

Employment regulation orders were introduced some years ago and force the paying of workers double time on Sundays. There are a number of small restaurants in County Wexford in which the workers are quite happy with their current terms and conditions. However, NERA has been using bully-boy tactics to address issues in respect of the restaurants, sometimes at the busiest of times, such as when they are full on a Saturday night. NERA representatives force the managers to address what is happening. NERA was not set up to use bully-boy tactics where genuine people are doing genuine business and doing their best. It is totally impractical for NERA to continue with the bully-boy tactics it has shown in recent times. I urge the Minister of State to use his good offices to reverse what is happening in terms of how NERA is doing its job. In many instances NERA is acting against the wishes of employees, who have the foresight to recognise that any attempt to introduce wage increases in the current economic climate would be completely counter-productive and, ultimately, would be more likely to result in job losses than anything else.

The situation is completely at odds with what we are led to believe is current Government policy. Government officials are involved in protracted negotiations on the implementation of a pay freeze in the public sector, yet a Government agency is tasked with ensuring private sector employers meet obligations drawn up against the backdrop of a starkly different economic environment.

The catering and security industries are two sectors in particular where difficulties have come to light in the recent past. I have been given detailed examples of a security company's contract to a Government body, namely, the Health Service Executive, for the past three years. As part of the contract the security company must meet increases agreed by the joint labour committees. However, the HSE has written to the security firm in recent weeks to say it will not pay any increases in 2009, yet the security firm is expected to pay increases in 2009. The Minister of State is a very level-headed man and he will understand the difficulties involved for a company that is being forced by one arm of the Government to pay increases while another arm of the Government has stated its intention not to pay increases. I hope the Minister of State can understand the difficulty this business is experiencing. What will happen is the business in question will go to the wall because of the increases it is being forced to pay its employees.

The very same thing is happening in the catering industry. I am aware of many small restaurants in my county and elsewhere in the country that are being forced to close. Many hotels have been forced to close also because of the bully-boy tactics employed by NERA. I urge the Minister of State to use his good offices to change the regulations in place to reverse what is happening and to accept the common-sense approach these ordinary business people wish to adopt.

Minister of State at the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment (Deputy Billy Kelleher)

I wish to convey the Tánaiste's apologies for being unable to address the House tonight. It is important at the outset to acknowledge on behalf of the Tánaiste and on my own behalf the difficulties facing small businesses in the current economic climate. However, we must balance that with the need to ensure the rights of workers are respected at all times. I do not think any of us would be comfortable with those rights being compromised, even in times of economic downturn.

Previously, Deputies from all sides of the House were tabling questions on why I was not honouring the commitments in Towards 2016 on the appointment of 90 labour inspectors. I note those questions are no longer tabled as frequently.

Deputy Paul Kehoe

The Government is not honouring the deal on pay now.

Acting Chairman

The Deputy should allow the Minister of State to conclude.

Deputy Billy Kelleher

By way of background, joint labour committees, JLCs, are statutory bodies established by the Labour Court under the Industrial Relations Acts 1946 to 2004 to provide machinery for the fixing of statutory minimum rates of pay and conditions of employment in particular sectors. A JLC is composed of equal numbers of representatives of employers and workers in the sector and it meets regularly, under an independent chairman, to discuss and agree terms and conditions to apply to specified grades or categories of worker in the sector. When it reaches agreement on terms and conditions, the JLC publishes details and invites submissions. Following consideration of any submissions, the committee may make proposals to the Labour Court to make an employment regulation order, an ERO. The making of an ERO has the effect of making the pay rates and conditions contained in it legally enforceable. Various EROs have been developed on a sectoral and industry-wide basis, and each provide for different rates. In general, the EROs apply in the lower-paid sectors of the economy, for example, hairdressing and catering.

I am conscious of the difficulties being experienced currently by many firms operating in sectors covered by EROs. In recent months I have met representatives of employer organisations and I have heard at first hand of the difficulties with wage costs. I have consistently advised employers to make their concerns known through their representatives at the social partnership table and to pursue the issues actively through the established mechanism of the relevant joint labour committee.

In that context, I was pleased to welcome two timely initiatives by the social partners to tackle current competitiveness challenges in the hospitality sector. The social partners have agreed to establish a forum for the hotel sector to contribute to the development of a sustainable industry providing high quality employment. The forum consists of representatives of IBEC and the Irish Hotels Federation, IHF, on behalf of employers in the industry, and SIPTU. The forum will have regard to a wide range of employment and industrial relations issues arising from the current challenges facing the hotel sector, with priority attention to be given to the current difficulties cited by employers in the sector as a result of the operation of the JLC system, with particular reference to the payment of Sunday premia.

In recent years, the catering sector has been covered by two separate JLCs, one covering the Dublin region and the second the rest of the country. Over the years, each of the JLCs in the catering sector has agreed a set of terms and conditions to apply to the workers covered by its remit. In circumstances where both committees have operated independently of each other, the terms agreed by the two committees have differed in various respects. The social partnership agreement, Towards 2016, contained commitments for the modernisation of the joint labour committee system, including the amalgamation of certain committees. I am pleased to note, therefore, that agreement has been reached recently by the social partners to an amalgamation of the two JLCs. In advance of the amalgamation, the parties to the two JLCs have now agreed on a uniform set of terms and conditions to apply throughout the country, including pay rates and Sunday premia. I understand the parties intend to give effect to those uniform terms and conditions as soon as possible. Those welcome developments from the employer and trade union representatives in the hospitality sector demonstrate their responsiveness to the need to take account of the economic, commercial and employment circumstances in the sector.

Employment regulation orders, EROs, and a range of employment rights legislation, including primary law and registered employment agreements, are enforced by the National Employment Rights Authority, NERA. Against a backdrop of much disquiet about the inadequacy of the policing and enforcement of employment law standards nationally, NERA was established under the aegis of the Department in March 2007 in accordance with commitments set out in Towards 2016. That agreement promised to introduce a fully resourced employment compliance authority to monitor effectively and enforce established standards of employment law in the workplace.

Since its inception, NERA has been active in implementing its remit, seeking to foster and enforce a national culture of employment rights compliance in the State. In this regard, NERA undertakes a range of functions, including information, inspection, prosecution and enforcement. In the course of conducting inspections, NERA's inspectors continue to come across employers who have failed to pay their staff in line with the rates set down in legislation. When discovered, the inspectors are obliged to ensure employers who are not paying the correct rate adjust wages for workers in accordance with the rate established in the employment regulation order.

I acknowledge and am aware that colleagues in both Houses have expressed concerns that the findings of NERA's inspectors are presenting difficulties for small companies in certain sectors. I appreciate that for some employers, especially in these challenging economic times, payment of arrears may be a problem where wage rates have been out of kilter for some time. It is important to remember, however, that payment of the correct rate is, in effect, the law of the land and applies equally to everyone. If the rates were not enforced, it would be most unfair on those employers who are fully compliant and have been paying wages at the correct rate all along and it could be tantamount to unfair competition.

Everyone on this side of the House has been raising the issue of NERA and labour inspections. The fact is they are enforcing the law of the land. What I would say to JLCs and employer and employee representatives on joint industrial councils is that they should meet to discuss the issue and having reflected on matters, strike a rate of pay and conditions that reflects the commercial realities confronting business in these challenging times. I am sure the social partners represented on the JLCs and joint industrial councils will reach a consensus on that issue.

Company Closure.

Deputy Brian O’Shea

I call on the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise and Employment to make sure that she and the Government pursue every avenue to ensure the continuation of Waterford Crystal as a complete entity, to include manufacturing, to resolve all issues surrounding the pension fund and to deal with the difficulties that have arisen with regard to severance payments for former employees of Waterford Crystal.

The uncertainty surrounding Waterford Crystal is precarious for the city, the county, the entire region, and the Government and the various public agencies must pull out all the stops to ensure that company remains in business and the maximum number of jobs are retained. The problems that have come to light in recent times at Waterford Crystal are as complex as they are manifold. I am greatly concerned for the plight of the hundreds of workers who accepted voluntary redundancy from the company late last year. Under the arrangement, their redundancy payment was to be paid in instalments, but since the closure of the plant, those payments were first reduced and then stopped, which is completely unacceptable. These workers entered into this agreement in good faith on the understanding that payment would be made in full. Now, just a few short months later, they have been left high and dry. The Minister must reassure them that their redundancy payments will be honoured in full. A way needs to be found to make sure these people will not be left out of pocket as a result of a set of circumstances that was completely out of their control.

There are also major concerns regarding the pensions of current and some former Waterford Crystal employees. People with decades of service to the company, who made pension contributions, have been told that they may not receive their entitlements. Employees left the company last year when reaching 58 years of age on the agreement that a bond would be purchased by the company to provide them with pensions for three and three quarter years until their 63rd birthdays when their company pension scheme payments would commence, but they found out the bonds had not been purchased. This commitment must be honoured in full. The Minister must ensure workers and retired employees are fully protected in order that people who have an entitlement obtain it.

Last year, the Government guaranteed the banks with the backing of the public sector pension fund, but it refused to implement a guarantee for pension schemes, as recommended. Had it done so, the Waterford Crystal pensions would be secured. In these circumstances, it is unconscionable that people who paid into a scheme may lose the benefits due because of Government inaction. The failure to guarantee the Waterford scheme will add to the devastating consequences of the company going into receivership. Retired workers also contribute to the regional economy and their incomes are also under threat. This must be a cause of great distress to them. There is no good reason the safety of their pensions cannot be confirmed.

While the closure of the plant last week was a huge blow to all involved with the company, every effort must now be made to recover the company from receivership with as much employment as possible intact. Waterford Crystal has been through a great deal during the 20 years or so. It was a terrible shock for employees to learn last week that the doors would be shut and they would not return to work this week. Nothing prepares people for such a development and they rightly hoped this turn of events could be avoided.

However, there remains some prospect of securing a future for the company, which involves retaining the visitor centre, manufacturing and office employment at Kilbarry. To this end, when I was informed about the closure, I made contact with the receiver to urge him to continue efforts to sell the operation as a single entity in order that maximum employment can be retained in Waterford. Tremendous value remains in the Waterford Crystal brand worldwide and the skills base and manufacturing infrastructure built up over many years at Waterford is also of considerable value.

The Labour Party once again pledges its full support in securing full political support for any effort to safeguard the future of Waterford Crystal. I have fully briefed my own party leader, Deputy Gilmore, in this regard and I have contacted the offices of the Taoiseach and the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment to urge them to input positively to the recovery process. After all, Waterford Crystal is an important Irish company, which has contributed hugely to the economy, both in direct taxation and in generating tourism visitor numbers.

When I was first elected to the House 20 years ago, 3,300 people were employed by Waterford Crystal at three locations. To see the company reach its current low point is deeply upsetting for everyone who cares about Waterford, but I remain convinced that efforts to save employment at Kilbarry will not be time wasted. The symbolism of Waterford Crystal for the people of the Waterford area and beyond is huge. It is an iconic and international brand, which must be saved with maximum job retention for Waterford, the full securing of pension rights and full honouring of severance agreements.

Deputy Billy Kelleher

I thank the Deputy for raising the matter. Every Deputy has faced similar sad situations where iconic companies such as Waterford Crystal face closure or liquidation because of a changed economic environment. I understand the concerns of the Deputy, the workers and their families and everyone in the south-east region. The Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment apologises as she is unable to be present but she has been directly involved in the ongoing situation in Waterford for some time. Both the Minister and her senior officials have engaged in a number of meetings in this regard. We are all extremely anxious to ensure a satisfactory outcome to the current scenario.

The company went into receivership recently. Mr. David Carson was appointed as the receiver and the Minister has met him on a number of occasions over the past month. Due to a lack of funds, he felt he had no option but to cease production last Friday. It is important to emphasise that the company is in receivership but not liquidation. Mr. Carson is in discussions with a number of parties who have expressed interest in becoming involved in the future of the company. He is making every effort to negotiate a sale that would secure the maximum number of jobs in Waterford and the continuation of Waterford Crystal as a going concern. It is essential that his negotiations with interested parties can be brought to a conclusion at the earliest opportunity, as time is not on our side in resolving this situation.

Waterford Crystal Limited is a subsidiary of Waterford Wedgwood plc and employed several thousand people at its peak. The group engaged in several rounds of raising finance in recent years to recapitalise the loss-making operations in the group, which included Waterford Crystal. However, insufficient earnings due to changing market conditions, a weak US dollar and the economic downturn in the company's largest market — the US — resulted in defaults in debt servicing and repayments. On 5 January 2009, the company asked that its shares be suspended from trading on the Irish Stock Exchange and it said some of the group's Irish and UK subsidiaries had to go into receivership and administration. On 30 January, the receiver concluded that the company was not in a position to continue meeting the current payroll cost in respect of the workforce. Accordingly, Mr. Carson decided that he was left with no option but to immediately commence giving notice of redundancy to a large portion of the workforce.

Every effort is being made, and will continue to be made, to ensure that the company continues to operate as a trading entity. Should this not prove possible and redundancies arise, I assure Deputies that my Department will be ready to assist the employees of Waterford Crystal in accessing their statutory employment entitlements under the redundancy and insolvency payments schemes. The purpose of the redundancy payments scheme is to compensate workers under the Redundancy Payments Acts 1967 to 2007 for the loss of their jobs by reason of redundancy. Insolvency legislation is also administered by my Department and provides for the payment of certain wage-related entitlements owed to employees such as arrears of wages-salaries, sick pay, holiday pay, pension contributions and minimum notice. In the context of pension contributions, the scheme provides for payment of contributions deducted from an employee in the 12 months prior to insolvency, which remain unpaid, and any contributions due to be paid by the employer into the scheme in the 12 months prior to the insolvency but which were not paid. That is the sole purpose of the insolvency payments scheme as regards pension contributions, which contrasts with the more general issue of pension funds.

Regulatory responsibility for the oversight of pensions funding lies with the Department of Social and Family Affairs under the auspices of the Pensions Board. The Government is conscious of the pressures on employers sponsoring pension schemes and scheme trustees, arising from the significant losses incurred by pension funds over the past year. While measures were announced last December to ease the funding pressures on pension schemes, the Government is considering a comprehensive framework for future pensions, which will set out a new model that will aim to secure the future of social welfare, private, occupational and public service pensions.

These are difficult and uncertain times for the workers at Waterford Crystal. We all cling to hope in these challenging times. However, Waterford Crystal is an iconic brand worldwide and, at its peak, it provided gainful employment for up to 3,000 people. I am hopeful a satisfactory solution will emerge from the ongoing discussions in the coming days.

Garda Equipment.

Deputy Charles Flanagan

I am very pleased the Ceann Comhairle consented to my application to have this matter discussed. I would like to send a message to the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform that the Garda is trapped in a technological stone age with the failure to introduce a national digital radio scheme, which has been promised for more than ten years, and now serious shortcomings with the PULSE computer system placing gardaí in the fight against crime in a position of great disadvantage. Gardaí are fighting crime with one hand tied behind their backs. Official Government figures show that the PULSE database system is available in fewer than half the Garda stations. There are 703 Garda stations in the State of which only 319 have access to the PULSE computer system. This is after 15 years and €61.3 million of taxpayers' money spent on a project that is less than satisfactory.

The PULSE system is not available in the Garda College in Templemore resulting in trainee gardaí not gaining the appropriate level of expertise in the system. This matter is a joke. After the amount of money that has been poured into PULSE it is much less than satisfactory that it is not available in the Garda College or in the majority of Garda stations. The cumbersome nature of the system prevents gardaí from accessing real-time information, which in effect is an advantage for criminals as well as being a major handicap for members of the Garda Síochána.

We are told that PULSE suffers from "unplanned downtime". We have heard many euphemisms in recent times for various faults in the system. However, "unplanned downtime" as a euphemism for a cock-up is a new one. This situation is entirely unsatisfactory. The Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform claims that there has been "virtually no unplanned downtime". What exactly does this mean? How much unplanned downtime has occurred since 2007? Chief Inspector Kathleen O'Toole recently told an Oireachtas committee that despite the vast amount of money spent upgrading the system, it is still not user-friendly and is holding the Garda back in its efforts to prevent crime.

It is not just the PULSE that is causing the Garda problems. After 11 years of promises, gardaí and their colleagues in the emergency services are still denied access to a digital radio system. Instead they are stuck with the old analogue system, which is totally outdated and unreliable, and can easily be intercepted by criminals and their associates. The criminals that gardaí are confronting on a daily basis are armed with far better technological advances than our police force.

In times of the credit crunch we are faced with what can be described as a new form of crime, credit crunch crime. We in the Houses of the Oireachtas and the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform in particular should ensure that appropriate resources are made available to allow gardaí engage in front-line activity. If the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform is serious about preventing crime he needs to bring Garda technology out of the stone age and into the 21st century. This means adopting international best practice and delivering on promises that have been parked for many years.

Only two weeks ago a Circuit Court judge was forced to apologise after it emerged that a suspended sentence had not been properly logged on the Garda computer system, which could have resulted in a major embarrassment in our criminal justice system. How much has PULSE cost to date? The figure I have suggests €61.3 million. However, this does not include in excess of €10 million spent on improving and maintaining the system between 2001 and 2006. If the system is flawed, why does it require such massive expenditure to deal with the ordinary day-to-day maintenance of the system?

As the Minister continues to deny the emergency service access to digital radio and a properly functioning PULSE database system, we are in effect playing straight into the hands of criminals and I would like to see a programme of action once and for all on this important issue.

Minister of State at the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government (Deputy Michael P. Kitt)

I thank the Deputy for affording me an opportunity to update the House on the use of modern technology by the Garda Síochána, in particular the PULSE system. I am replying on behalf of the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, Deputy Dermot Ahern.

PULSE is the primary Garda operational IT system supporting operational members doing their day-to-day policing tasks and is now available on more than 2,000 personal computers in 342 Garda locations nationwide, including all divisional and district headquarters. Decisions to extend the PULSE system to other locations takes into account factors such as the volume of business, the amount of Garda time spent at the station and, of course, the investment cost in the installation and ongoing maintenance of the system. It was never the intention of the Garda authorities to provide PULSE in every single Garda location and requirements are kept under constant review. Additional Garda stations are added to the network on a case-by-case basis. That said, with the current level of coverage, approximately 85% of incidents originate from locations where PULSE is available, which is indicative of the real level of coverage.

With regard to the availability of the PULSE system in the Garda College in Templemore, I am informed by the Garda authorities that in addition to access to the PULSE system itself, a PULSE training database for educational purposes is in use in a dedicated facility in the Garda College and in other training facilities at other locations nationwide.

A number of major initiatives have taken place in recent years that have resulted in the further release of Garda resources for operational duties. The Garda information services centre, GISC, which is based in Castlebar, provides a service whereby gardaí who would otherwise need to return to the nearest station to input or update incident data, now do so over the telephone via civilian staff at the centre. Approximately 13,000 calls per week are handled by the centre thus releasing Garda resources for visible, front-line policing across our communities. Quality control and review of data are also managed by dedicated civilian staff at the GISC, thereby relieving sergeants of this administrative task and allowing further deployment for more operational duties.

The functionality of the PULSE system is continually upgraded and enhanced to accommodate new business requirements, policies and procedures as well as updates to reflect new legislation. In November last year a new release of PULSE was deployed. A key aspect of this release provides for electronic integration with the Courts Service whereby applications for summonses by the Garda are electronically routed to the courts criminal case tracking system, which will in return issue the summons and electronically notify the Garda through PULSE of the court date and outcome of the case in due course. This has led to direct efficiency savings for both organisations and increased Garda visibility through minimising court-related administrative work.

Further enhancements to PULSE functionality are scheduled for this year including supports for missing persons inquiries, a system to support the operation of the sex offenders register and support for firearms registration and licensing. PULSE has also been integrated with other niche systems such as the automated fingerprint identification system thereby providing access to more specialised data through a single point of entry. The Garda PULSE system is not only core to the work of every garda but will continue to be a vital tool in the detection and recording of crime in the future.

Court Accommodation.

Deputy Margaret Conlon

Gabhaim buíochas leis an gCathaoirleach as an deis an t-ábhar tábhachtach seo a phlé. I am grateful for the opportunity to raise this important matter. The courthouse in Castleblayney is a mid-19th century Italianate building which occupies an important island site in the town centre. Its unique design means it can be viewed from all sides. However, following neglect and abandonment over the years the building is now in a state of disrepair. There is a serious outbreak of dry rot on the east side of the building. This building offers significant potential for development and Castleblayney's courthouse site needs to be developed as a civic facility. Like most towns in County Monaghan, Castleblayney suffered from being in a Border county. The Troubles lasted for more than 40 years and were a scourge on the county. Businesses were either afraid, unable or unwilling to invest further in Castleblayney and its surrounding areas while investment opportunities were being availed of in non-Border counties. In neighbouring County Louth a new courthouse and civic facility was opened in Ardee in June 2008. This is a fine model of what could be done with Castleblayney courthouse. We have the site in the centre of the town and we have significant potential for development but as it stands in its current state, it portrays a very negative image of our town.

The Courts Service no longer has a proper long-term home and is currently seeking temporary premises. The Judiciary is unhappy with the current arrangements and it would be a dreadful outcome if the Courts Service were to cease sitting in the town.

The Courts Service and the library are both using rented accommodation. The town council and county council both require new office accommodation. They could all be housed in this building and there is potential for the inclusion of a tourist office. The cost of this investment is reportedly in the region of €5 million but in the current climate I would expect that if this project were to be put out to tender, there would be a reduction in the figure as today's capital contracts are tendering at up to 30% below last year's figure. I am convinced we have a golden opportunity now for capital investment in the town and we should seize it while also obtaining good value for money.

It is my firm belief this building can be made the centrepiece of the town and could be turned into an expression of confidence in a Border county. It would also be a great way of drawing people into the centre of our town thus helping businesses, restaurants and shops especially if this tough economic climate continues in the medium to long term.

The work needed on this building would create construction and other related work. It could create in excess of 50 jobs for the next two years and as a preserved building it would require specialist work.

The courthouse building, if left as it is, will continue to be a health and safety problem and an eyesore. This iconic building has great potential. I have been in regular contact with the Courts Service and the local authority on this issue and I would like to see some progress this year. There is a great need for the work to begin immediately in order to seal the building and the restoration and development would prevent further decay and deterioration. This is an important historic building in Castleblayney and investment in its renovation would not only generate much-needed employment and income but would also give the Border town a much-needed confidence boost. I look forward to the Minister of State's reply.

Deputy Michael P. Kitt

Monaghan County Council submitted an application to the Department in June 2006 for sanction to take out a loan to fund essential repairs to Castleblayney courthouse. At the time the county council wished to secure the building's external fabric and prevent further deterioration. However, the county council subsequently decided to re-examine it proposals for the courthouse and engaged consultants to prepare a feasibility study on the cost of refurbishing it as a civic centre to provide accommodation for the existing courthouse, offices for Castleblayney Town Council and possibly a branch library for the town.

Having regard to the requirements of the Courts Service, the consultants noted that the floor area available in the building would be entirely taken up by the needs of the court and that it would not be possible to accommodate the town council in the same building. As a result of this finding, I understand that the county manager wrote directly to the Courts Service seeking to have Castleblayney courthouse included in the national courthouse renovation programme. The Courts Service responded to the effect that the cost of restoring the courthouse solely for court use would be prohibitive. In its current capital building programme, the Courts Service is prioritising the refurbishment of county town venues and in this regard, Monaghan courthouse is currently under refurbishment. In the view of the Courts Service, it would be substantially cheaper to provide the necessary court accommodation in Castleblayney on a greenfield site which would cost approximately half the cost of renovation of the existing courthouse. The Courts Service has indicated that on this basis and when funds become available, provision of the necessary court facilities on a greenfield site is most likely to be the option pursued in this regard.

Should Monaghan County Council wish to pursue further its application to take out a loan to fund the reconstruction of the courthouse, the Department will consider the application in due course, having regard to Monaghan County Council's own financial position and the national position with respect to the general Government balance. In this context, all loan applications received from local authorities must be considered according to their priority. It is of paramount importance that Ireland adheres to the rules set out in the EU Stability and Growth Pact and in this regard there are limitations on the overall scale of local government borrowing in any single year. Within those terms I must prioritise the most crucial projects and investments across the local government sector. Any renewed application by Monaghan County Council in respect of Castleblayney courthouse will be considered by the Department within these parameters.

The Dáil adjourned at 9.45 p.m. until 10.30 a.m. on Wednesday, 4 February 2009.