Employers’ body suggests private sector role in justice areas

Ibec has suggested that the private sector could have a role in transporting prisoners “from the street to custody” and in providing trained and experienced former gardaí to assist in major crime investigations.

The employers’ body say the private sector already is playing some role in the justice sector. It says the operation of safety cameras on roads has been outsourced, while IT services for the Department of Justice are run in partnership with industry.

However, Ibec says that based on international comparisons, other areas in the justice sphere could be considered for external service delivery.

In the prison service, for example, it says this could include prisoner transportation, courts custody suite management, staff and visitor searching and electronic monitoring of high- risk early-release prisoners.

External delivery
In policing , Ibec suggests external delivery could include prisoner transportation including "street to custody", fines administration, penalty points, ICT services, electronic monitoring of high-risk people on bail as well as custody suite management. It also suggests the provision of additional resources – trained and experienced former gardaí – for major crime investigation.

The lobby group also says the private sector could have a role in passport control at ports and airports, in issuing passports and visas, in refugee accommodation and in support and repatriation.

In the probation service, Ibec says external service delivery could be extended to electronic monitoring as a sentence of the courts, electronic monitoring of supervised high-risk offenders and the management of secure halfway house accommodation for high-risk sex offenders.

Common processes
Across the public service, Ibec says most government bodies are engaged in activities which relate to a small set of common processes.

These include entitlements such as grants, pensions, welfare payments, housing etc, inspections, collections of revenue or income and licensing.

“Also, it should be noted that some public services have difficulties with debt collection and fraud. These are areas in which the private sector could play a role.”