HOME Affairs Minister Juan Watterson has admitted that the next £2m worth of savings his department has to make is ‘really going to hurt’.
Up until now, staffing in front line services such as the Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Service has largely been preserved, but he said it would be ‘impossible’ to achieve future cuts over the next two years without staffing reductions.
Staff numbers are being looked at across the board – and it is yet to be decided where the axe will fall.
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Mr Watterson said: ‘75 per cent of the Department of Home Affairs’ budget is staffing. It’s going to be impossible to save £2m without staffing reductions. Where that will fall is yet to be determined.’
Talking about the impact of a cut in police officer numbers, he said: ‘That’s a real problem for us in that we are seeing the real success of neighbourhood policing on the island and to scale back from that is a difficult thing to do, if it has to be done for budgetary reasons.’
Among the proposals for future savings is the development of an on-island training facility for firefighters at the former animal by-products plant at East Baldwin. It would reduce the cost of travel and accommodation associated with UK-based training.
The DHA is also planning a new custody block at police headquarters in Glencrutchery Road, to consolidate all Douglas detention facilities into one location. The aim is to improve efficiency and enable the police to vacate the current Lord Street police station site – freeing it up for development.
It is still the department’s intention to have a police presence in lower Douglas though – by opening a station in the former Hanover Street School.
Mr Watterson said the demolition of Victoria Road prison, the sale of Onchan police station and the transfer of the Isle of Man Fire and Rescue Service headquarters had already generated savings and significant capital receipts for Government.
In addition to rationalising its estate and leased office and storage facilities, the department has also combined the prison and probation services and introduced more flexible terms and conditions for staff.
These measures have contributed to savings of more than £4m since 2010-11, and £8m since the department’s budget peaked in 2007-08.
Mr Watterson said: ‘The primary focus of the department is protecting the vulnerable and our services are targeted towards achieving that objective.
‘Each decision we have taken in relation to budget cuts has been risk-assessed to ensure community safety has not been threatened and we will continue to work hard to provide best-value, effective services for the people of the Isle of Man.’
He added: ‘As well as helping residents to feel secure in their local communities, the Department of Home Affairs recognises its role in supporting our national priority of growing the economy.
‘The Isle of Man is firmly established as one of the safest places to live in the British Isles and this reputation, together with an excellent quality of life, is a significant factor in attracting new businesses and key workers to the island.’
The department has the highest ratio of salary costs as a proportion of its budget of any department.
Ninety per cent of the cost of the Constabulary is staffing. There are currently 236 police officers.
There are about 50 full-time firefighters and 100 retained.
The DHA has lost 44 full-time equivalent headcount since 2010-11. Central staff numbers have more than halved to nine.