I thank the Chairman for the invitation to appear before the committee in my capacity as Accounting Officer for the Courts Service, Vote 22, and I look forward to discussing any aspect of the Vote with him and the members of the committee.
I am pleased to report that a clean audit report has been provided by the Comptroller and Auditor General on the 2008 Appropriation Account. Overall the Vote was managed successfully and, with the assistance of a technical Supplementary Estimate, expenditure was within budget. The Supplementary Estimate enabled surplus receipts under appropriations-in-aid to be used to fund excess on non-pay current expenditure and, as such, did not involve any additional Exchequer funding. A surrender balance of €8 million was recorded on the Vote.
The Courts Service is responsible for the management and administration of the courts. As the committee is aware, the administration of justice is a matter for the Judiciary and is outside the scope of the functions of the Courts Service in accordance with the constitutional independence of the Judiciary and the provisions of the Courts Service Act. Members will appreciate, therefore, that in my discussions with them today I am precluded from commenting on any matter relating to the exercise by a judge of his or her judicial functions. I am also, of course, precluded from commenting on matters of Government policy.
Since establishment, the Courts Service has worked to ensure that the courts operate effectively and efficiently, the use of available resources is optimised and the best possible service is provided to court users. Since the Vote was last considered by the committee in 2004, very good progress has been made in implementing a comprehensive and broad ranging reform and modernisation programme to address the deficiencies which existed in the management, administration and resourcing of the courts.
Through the capital building programme we have prioritised the refurbishment of court buildings and an investment of over €240 million has been spent on over 50 major projects which have been successfully completed. We are particularly proud of our most recent major building project, the new Criminal Courts of Justice complex on Parkgate Street. The complex is a state-of-the-art criminal justice facility designed to accommodate criminal business of all jurisdictions in one serviced location and overcome the security, service delivery and logistical problems of running criminal trials in a number of sites dispersed throughout the Four Courts and adjoining buildings. The project was delivered by way of public private partnership and construction took 34 months, with the building being delivered on budget and three months ahead of schedule on 17 November 2009. As members know, the CCJ project was the subject of a review by the Comptroller and Auditor General — chapter 17 of the 2008 annual report. His report endorsed the approach taken, which was fully compliant with Department of Finance guidelines.
The implementation of our ICT strategies has resulted in the development and deployment of an IT infrastructure and systems, including e-Government systems, which are designed to support the operation of the courts and enhance the service to court users. Recent ICT initiatives include the centralising and automation of processing of payments made by court offices, the electronic payment of family law maintenance, the rollout of small claims on-line, the development of CJHP, which is exchange of data with the Garda Síochána, and the phased deployment of digital audio recording in courtrooms nationwide.
The successful centralisation and computerisation of accounting systems has enabled us to make significant progress in the area of fines collection. Over the past ten years, the effectiveness of the fines collection system has been the subject of review by the Comptroller and Auditor General and this committee, and I am pleased to report that, as a result of a number of initiatives, including the introduction of on-line payment options, the compliance rate is now at 70% from an estimated 50% a number of years ago. In monetary terms, the benefits to the Exchequer are significant, and it is estimated that the increased yield to the Exchequer is in the region of €8 million annually. Indeed, the initiatives provided for in the Fines Act 2010 are designed to bring about further improvements in the collection rate of fines.
Significant progress has been made in the area of financial management, resulting in the centralised management of court funds and of all financial transactions in the District Court, which amount to over 700,000 transactions annually. We have also taken a proactive approach to the management of court fees, ensuring that regular reviews are carried out and that the level of fees are appropriate while ensuring that they are not a barrier to a person's constitutional right of access to the courts. We have driven a substantial programme of legislative and procedural reform to enable improved operation of the courts, efficiency in deployment of court resources and a reduction in the cost of litigation.
A review of District Court districts and areas has led to the reorganisation of the District Court districts to bring about a more equitable distribution of caseload and the amalgamation of court areas. A review of Circuit Court circuits has been initiated and a committee has been established in conjunction with the President of the Circuit Court to examine Circuit Court circuits.
The Courts Service, like other Departments and agencies, has seen significant reductions in funding since 2008. The service acknowledges the difficult economic environment facing the country at this time and I want to assure the committee we are staying within the reduced funding parameters. In this regard, the Courts Service has in place robust financial control measures across the organisation to ensure that expenditure is kept to an absolute minimum, is incurred only where it is absolutely necessary and unavoidable, and that value for money is achieved. Our priority has always been and will continue to be the provision of front-line core court services to support the Judiciary and court sittings. Every effort will continue to be made to protect these front-line services and core court operations but this will only be achieved through the implementation of further reforms in the structure of the organisation and the delivery of services.
Our current strategic plan 2008-11 recognised the need to carry out a comprehensive review of our structures and methods of service delivery to bring about improved services and value for money. The onset of the economic recession in 2008, together with the consequent impact on the public finances, accelerated and increased the urgency with which this had to be addressed. This review, Transforming Administration and Structures in the Courts, or TASC, was carried out in 2009. It examined a number of areas including the role of county registrars, the restructuring of court offices, the rationalisation of court venues, the allocation of staffing resources and the development of a workforce strategy. There is no doubt that significant economies and efficiencies can be delivered through the use of shared services, improved processes and the rationalisation of court office and venue networks.
The recommendations coming from the review are very closely aligned with the provisions of the public service agreement which was recently approved by the Irish Congress of Trade Unions. The agreement provides a very positive and constructive environment in which to engage with the staff unions and associations in regard to implementing a transformation programme and we look forward to working with them and with the Judiciary, county registrars and other stakeholders to bring about transformation of court administration and structures.
The Courts Service will work to ensure that we continue to improve services to court users, make the courts as accessible as possible and achieve real value for money in the provision of these services.