When the discussion was suspended on the last day, a certain number of points had been raised by Deputy Johnson. He asked how the cost of note-takers for Circuit Courts, as ascertained so far, compared with the cost as estimated when the Courts of Justice Bill was going through the Dáil. We find that the cost is less than the estimate of £6,000 which was given to the Dáil when the Courts of Justice Bill was under consideration. So far as we have been able to gather from the session of the Circuit Courts that has been completed, the cost will work out about £5,000 per annum, instead of £6,000 as estimated. It is anticipated that it will be even less when permanent stenographers have been appointed at scales of salary which will cost the Treasury less than if men were appointed from a panel as they are wanted.
Rules are being prepared by the Department of Justice in regard to the custody of notes and transcript. No transcript is made unless notice of appeal is lodged. Then the transcript is made and sent to the Department of Justice, whence it is supplied to the parties as required. In future, when the rules have been made the stenographer will be given an opportunity of reading his notes after they have been taken, and the notes will then pass into the custody of the Clerk of the Peace. They will be given to the stenographer again in case a transcript is wanted for the purpose of appeal. I do not know that there is any other point on which I could touch.
