Justice:The new Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission looks set to be worst affected in the Justice vote with the pre-Budget estimate published yesterday, revealing a cut in funding of one-third, in what will be its first full year in operation next year.
The Ombudsman Commission, which was established to independently investigate complaints about Garda members, was criticised last month after it tried to have an inquest into the shooting dead by gardaí of two post office raiders in Lusk, north Dublin, in 2005, adjourned.
It emerged the agency had received a complaint three weeks earlier about lethal force being used in relation to one of the deceased, who was unarmed, but it had failed to act immediately.
At the time, it was suggested more staff were needed if the agency was to effectively process the level of complaints it was receiving. The commission is receiving four times more complaints a month than the Garda Complaints Board, which it replaced. However, a cut in its budget, from €17 million this year to €11.6 million next year, will mean any plans to expand will not go ahead.
Spending on the Department of Justice, excluding the Garda, prisons and Courts Service, will increase by 6 per cent to €477 million next year. Many of the cuts within the departmental budget come in the area of discretionary spending with estimates for items such as incidental expenses and "value for money" reviews having been reduced significantly compared with last year.
State pathology will gain most with a 130 per cent increase in its budget to €8.9 million. A €5 million increase in capital expenditure to €8 million next year is included in that.
Juvenile offender programmes will also benefit from an increase in spending, with just over €10 million earmarked for next year.
There are no surprises with the Garda vote, which increases by 8 per cent to €1.52 billion, of which more than €1 billion goes on salaries and allowances.
Similarly, prison spending remains relatively constant with the budget being increased by 7 per cent to €380 million. The biggest increase, of 9 per cent, comes in salaries and allowances where €286.7 million has been estimated for next year.
The Courts Service sees its budget increase by 5 per cent to €107.5 million.
