Justice spending to be six per cent higher than last year

Justice Minister Frances Fitzgerald told TDs around two and a half billion euro will be spent on the justice sector in 2016, an increase of more than 6 per cent on the previous year.

Ms Fitzgerald yesterday presented the Revised Estimates dealing with spending for the Justice and Equality sector to the Dáil, which provide for over €2.458 billion in gross spending across the eight individual votes in the Justice Group.

She said: “This funding is an increase of more than 6 per cent on the corresponding Revised Estimates for 2015.

“An additional allocation of €55 million will be made available for the remainder of 2016 – this includes €5m announced in February. I am very pleased to have secured substantial additional funding for An Garda Síochána as they face unprecedented challenges.”

Spending on An Garda Síochána accounts for 64 per cent of all expenditure, including €971 million on Garda pay, €50 million on new Garda buildings, €6 million on new Garda vehicles, €330 on ICT infrastructure, and €2.7 million to run the Policing Authority.

Meanwhile, €109.7 million is being provided for the Courts Service of Ireland, allowing for the appointment of around 30 additional staff who will be assigned to support additional court sittings.

The funding also supports the development of new courthouses in Drogheda, Letterkenny, Limerick and Wexford and refurbishment and extension works to courthouses in Cork, Mullingar and Waterford.

The prison service has €332 million, allowing a payroll increase of €6.5 million, which will allow for “critical vacancies” to be filled.