I propose to take Questions Nos. 84 and 85 together.
The average annual salary of lawyers in the Office of the Director of Public is currently approximately €81,210. The current average salary of other staff is approximately €36,870. I propose to circulate with the official report tables which detail all salary scales of professionally qualified legal grades, i.e. solicitors and barristers, within the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions. All points on the scales are shown, including the starting points.
The Deputy has asked for details in respect of the Office of the Chief Prosecution Solicitor. It would be more correct to refer to the Solicitors Division of the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions. The Chief Prosecution Solicitor leads the Solicitors Division. I can inform the Deputy that the average annual salary of lawyers in the Solicitors Division of the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions is currently approximately €71,290. The current average salary of other staff in the Solicitors Division is approximately €35,910. The running costs of the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions in the period sought were as follows:
Year
|
Amount €
|
2002
|
23,436,000
|
2003
|
26,205,000
|
2004
|
28,661,000
|
2005
|
30,159,000
|
2006
|
31,484,000
|
2007
|
6,827,000*
|
*Estimated to end of March 2007.
The running costs of the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions are calculated on a whole Office basis and are not apportioned across the three Divisions of the Office separately. I am therefore not in a position to give figures for the running costs for the Solicitors Division or either for the other two Divisions.