Spending on justice at all-time historic high, says McDowell
However, estimates for the Department of Justice appear to only partially reflect spending for 2005. Minister McDowell and his officials are still in discussions with Finance Minister Brian Cowen over funding for a range of other major capital works, particularly for the gardaí.
Minister McDowell said spending on justice, which covers the gardaí, prisons, the courts and a range of the equality budgets, was at an "all time historic high".
He flagged the building of a new state-of-the-art court complex at Parkgate in Dublin as a key policy for next year.
Officials said work on the building, to be paid for through public private partnership, was not likely to be begin until 2006.
There is no provision for this within the estimates and indeed spending on the courts service is to be radically cut, down 19%.
Capital spending is to be nearly halved, although the minister said he was in discussion with finance about extra funding. Mr McDowell said funding was available to begin the process that he claimed would see the force reach 14,000 - including trainee gardaí - by the end 2006.
He has already indicated that initial funding would be small, around €11m, increasing to €124m by 2009.
Fine Gael's justice spokesman Jim O'Keeffe challenged the minister to explain how he believed the estimates would make provision for the extra gardaí.
"Upon close scrutiny there is no evidence. The meagre 5% increased allocation for garda salaries is largely consumed by inflation and existing pay agreements," said Deputy O'Keeffe.
He said that in real terms spending on garda equipment, up 2%, was being reduced.
Labour spokesman Joe Costello echoed Fine Gael's criticisms in relation to Garda numbers and claimed the increases were not going to happen as there was no allowance for them in the estimates.
The minister said Mr Costello was wrong and recruitment would begin in two weeks.
Mr McDowell said other announcements were to be made separately - on plans for a traffic corps, a new block at Templemore training college and possibly on the upgrade the force's telecommunications.
Because legislation for the proposed Garda Ombudsman has not yet cleared the Oireachtas, only a nominal amount has been listed in the estimates. Money has been hidden in the budgets for commissions and inquiries and the existing complaints board.
:
: €2bn (+5.3%)
: €1.1bn (+6%)
: €367m (6%)
: €61.6m (-19%)
: €73m (+8%)
: €59m (+13%)
: €90m (+7%)
: €125m (+4%).
