asked the Minister for Justice if he intends to meet with the different representative bodies of the Garda Síochána to discuss the effects of the proposed reduction in expenditure for the force next year; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

21.

asked the Minister for Justice if his attention has been drawn to the grievances of the Garda Síochána as expressed by their representative bodies recently in relation to the proposed abolition of the 15 minute pre-duty briefing time; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

23.

asked the Minister for Justice if his attention has been drawn to the serious concern expressed by the three main Garda representative bodies regarding the impact of cutbacks on the force, which they state are seriously affecting the efficiency of Garda services and the welfare of Garda personnel; if he has agreed to a request to meet the representative bodies to discuss these cutbacks; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

28.

asked the Minister for Justice the effect the proposed abolition of the 15 minute parading time will have on the operation of the Garda Síochána; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

37.

asked the Minister for Justice if, in view of reports of the possibility of industrial action being taken by members of the Garda Síochána as a result of cuts in overtime, he will make a statement as to the steps he proposes to take to prevent such industrial action.

I propose to take Questions Nos. 12, 21, 23, 28 and Priority Question No. 37 together.

In replying to these questions I want to explain the background to the matters that are referred to and to put them in proper perspective.

The reductions referred to are relatively very minor and must be regarded in the light of the serious state of the public finances and the measures which have had to be taken across the board to reduce public expenditure. The overall funds available to the Government to run the public services in 1988 have had to be determined by the Government in the light of the critical need to restore order to the public finances. As is very widely known, a major review of all public expenditure was initiated in May last. This review, which applied to every area of the public service, had the specific objective of achieving very significant reductions in expenditure. It was, by specific Government direction, undertaken on the basis that no area of public expenditure could be regarded as sacrosanct and that no service or scheme was immune from scrutiny to see if it could be eliminated or reduced.

The Garda Síochána had, prior to this review, emerged relatively unscathed from the effects of the cutbacks, arising from our financial difficulties, which had been affecting practically all other services for a very considerable time. For example, the Garda Síochána, almost uniquely, were exempted from the staffing embargo which applied generally throughout the public service.

The continuing seriousness of the financial situation meant that there could no longer be an exception for the Garda Síochána and that every aspect of the service they provide had to come under the scrutiny of the review I have referred to. This scrutiny was in fact carried out by Garda management.

It was in this context that Garda management came to the conclusion that "parading time" could be terminated and that certain other services could be reorganised, in furtherance of the objective of reducing public expenditure. In the judgment of Garda management, none of these measures will seriously affect the effectiveness of the force. In relation to "parading time", for example, the view is that necessary briefing can be provided by other means than by attendance which involved the payment of overtime. I understand that the up-to-date communications system now available to the force has a role to play in this. This is, of course, a matter for Garda management who must exercise the responsibility of ensuring that all Garda resources are utilised with maximum effectiveness.

The Government, in deciding on expenditure reductions, took fully into account the vital importance of the Garda service to the community. This is reflected in the fact that the financial allocation made in respect of the Garda Síochána for 1988 represents an increase of 1 per cent in the allocation for 1987 and the savings in overtime and allowances represent a reduction of less than threequarters of 1 per cent in the overall allocation. It must be accepted that a reduction of this amount is minor in the context of reductions which have had to be applied elsewhere.

In the circumstances that I have outlined it must also be accepted that there is genuinely no prospect that the overall allocation of funds for the Garda Síochána in 1988 can be increased.

I have already met representatives of the Garda associations and explained all of these matters to them. I would again express the hope that they and the members they represent, will accept the genuineness and the reality of the position as I have outlined it.

Would the Minister agree that there are some areas in the public service where it is both unwise and impossible to reduce the level of public expenditure and that one of those areas happens to relate to the security of the State? The other area, which is the one we are arguing about at present, is primary education. Added to this problem is the reduction in the numbers of gardaí that will be available to the public because of the non-recruitment policy that is now being pursued. I am quite certain that the Garda Síochána may find a way of briefing other than by the payment of overtime for parading time. Surely that was initiated in the first place for the purpose of briefing members of the Garda Síochána who were about to go on duty about what had happened in the previous hours when they were not on duty.

Further I would like to ask the Minister if he could justify to the House why the services of the juvenile liaison officers and other officers involved in crime prevention will not be available to the public at weekends because of cuts in overtime. I understand that the moneys involved in relation to the juvenile liaison officers and the other officers involved in crime prevention is small.

That aspect of the matter is worthy of a separate question.