CAVAN TRAINING CENTRE

The Hon. S.G. WADE (14:55): I seek leave to make an explanation before asking the Minister for Communities and Social Inclusion a question with respect to the Cavan youth training facility.

Leave granted.

The Hon. S.G. WADE: The last Auditor-General's Report indicated that the department advised that there is a projected shortfall in funding for the new youth training centre at Cavan which may require a change to the project scope or funding arrangements. The Minister for Communities and Social Inclusion told this house on 10 November 2011:

...the budget will stay the same and we will try to bring the project in on budget. That might mean looking at quotes...and pushing them a little harder but there is always the potential of reviewing the scope of works and perhaps going for a different style of fencing...

First, can the minister assure the council that security measures at the current youth training facility—staffing or otherwise—have not been reduced; and, secondly, can the minister rule out any reduction of security measures in the new youth training facility project, in particular security fencing?

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER (Minister for Communities and Social Inclusion, Minister for Social Housing, Minister for Disabilities, Minister for Youth, Minister for Volunteers) (14:56): I thank the honourable member for his very important question. Can I say at the outset that the question was asked of me by the Hon. Mr Ridgway I think in terms of the questions relating to the Auditor-General's Report. He was asking about contingency options and he was asking about the scope of works and how they might be managed. My answer to that was that:

I am advised that the budget will stay the same and we will try to bring the project in on budget. That might mean looking at quotes, for example, and pushing them a little harder but there is always the potential of reviewing the scope of works and perhaps going for a different style of fencing or a different quality of fittings.

In no way did I suggest at any time that there will be any compromise on safety standards or that there will be any compromise on security measures. I can assure the house that there will not be.

The Hon. R.L. Brokenshire: Do you know they lost a quarter of the prisoners in one night?

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. R.I. Lucas interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order! The Hon. Mr Wade has a supplementary, I take it.