Committee Reports > List of Committees > Dáil > 1990 > Committee of Public Accounts > Final Report - Appropriation Accounts 1988

APPENDIX 9

31 August, 1990.

Secretary,

Committee of Public Accounts,

Leinster House,

Dublin 2.

A Chara,

I enclose herewith, as requested, a corrected and certified copy of the minutes of evidence given by me before the Committee of Public Accounts in the course of my examination on 26 April, 1990.

In the course of this examination I was questioned about expenses associated with the Neighbourhood Watch Scheme and I undertook to let the Committee have a note on this matter. This note is to confirm the information I provided to the Committee — the salaries of the Garda personnel who are involved in the operation of this Scheme are paid out of the Garda Vote as is also the cost of the literature, brochures, etc., that are used in the promotion and operation of the Scheme. I understand that different community groups involved in the Scheme may occasionally incur some small incidental expenses (e.g. in the hire of a meeting place or possibly in the erection of a sign) but on indication has ever been received that the operation of the Scheme has been inhibited as a consequence of this. The Garda authorities in fact see some merit in having the commitment of community groups to the Scheme confirmed by involvement of this nature.

I also undertook to provide a note to the Committee about a saving of £1,046,000 in the 1988 Garda Síochána Vote, under Subhead C — Post Office Services. The major part of this saving (£784,394) arose under the provision for telephone services and is due in the main to decreased use of these services as a result of the availability of the Garda Radio network for a great deal of internal Garda communications and as a result also of the introduction of a more efficient and streamlined telephony service for the Force.

Mise, le meas,

D. MATTHEWS,

Accounting Officer,

Department of Justice.