Parliamentary Question: Probation and Welfare Service.

30th September 2004

214. Aengus Ó Snodaigh  asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the steps he plans to take in response to the findings of the Comptroller and Auditor General's report into the Probation and Welfare Service; and if there remain other barriers to the full implementation of the recommendations of the expert group that reviewed the service in 1998. [23124/04]

 Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform (Mr. McDowell):  As regards the future organisation and structures of the Probation and Welfare Service, I can inform the Deputy that I have set up a small working group involving departmental and Probation and Welfare officials to build on existing work including the expert group report and the value for money audit of the service mentioned by the Deputy and to identify the type of service that may be required in the future, their relative priority, the resource implications and different methods of providing the services and the research/evaluation available or required to determine the effectiveness of options.
The group has met three times so far and is due to meet again in early October. After that group has completed its work and after appropriate consultation, I hope to be in a position to bring proposals to the Government.