Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 27 May 1931

Vol. 38 No. 16

In Committee on Finance. - Vote No. 35—Supreme Court and High Court of Justice.

The President

I move:

Go ndeontar suim ná raghaidh thar £34,740 chun slánuithe na suime is gá chun íoctha an Mhuirir a thiocfaidh chun bheith iníoctha i rith na bliana dar críoch an 31adh lá de Mhárta, 1932, chun pé cuid de Thuarastail agus de Chostaisí Chúirt Uachtarach agus Ard-Chúirt an Bhreithiúnais nách muirear ar an bPrímh-Chiste (Uimh. 27 de 1926).

That a sum not exceeding £34,740 be granted to complete the sum necessary to defray the Charge which will come in course of payment during the year ending on the 31st day of March, 1932, for such of the Salaries and Expenses of the Supreme Court and High Court of Justice as are not charged on the Central Fund (No. 27 of 1926).

Mr. Fitzgerald-Kenney

This Estimate shows a net sum of £53,710 as the total sum required for payment of the salaries and cost of living bonus of all the officers of the Courts functioning at the Castle and in the District Probate Registries. Of this total the sum of about £6,000 is appropriate to the Officers attached to the Chief Justice (Lunacy, Minor and other matters), a sum of practically £2,000 is appropriate to the Officers of the Supreme Court and the balance, £45,000 odd, is appropriate to the Officers of the High Court who are divided into groups corresponding to the several offices set up by the Court Officers Act, 1926.

The Estimate shows a decrease as compared with that of 1930-31 of £533, but owing to the amount of Appropriations-in-Aid being less by £300, the net decrease is £233. The decrease under the head of salaries, wages, etc., is accounted for by (1) the filling of vacancies by officers on lower salaries than their predecessors; (2) reduced provision for payment of fees to District Registrars by reason of the discontinuance of one of these posts, and (3) reduction of cost of living bonus. The difference in the amount of Appropriations-in-Aid is accounted for by the continued downward tendency shown in receipts from bankruptcy percentages.

During last year the District Registry at Tuam was abolished, which means a saving of probably close on £1,000 per annum to the State, but this saving is not apparent on the Estimate because the form it takes is that the fees formerly paid personally to the District Probate Registrar now come to the Exchequer by way of stamps attached to applications for Probate.

Mr. Little

There is very little to be said on this Vote. In general the only thing that one can say at the moment is that there is going to be a Bill to deal with all these courts, not so much with the District Court as with the other courts. I think we must wait for that Bill before we can offer any further criticisms on these various Votes. We can only hope that the Minister will, at a very early date, bring in that Bill. Perhaps he will take this opportunity of telling us when he hopes to bring it in.

Mr. Esmonde

Is the Minister in a position to say anything in confirmation, or otherwise, of the rumours in the Press that the Government contemplate an increase in the personnel of the Supreme Court?

Mr. Fitzgerald-Kenney

That is a matter which will be dealt with when the amending Courts of Justice Bill is brought in. It is one of the matters upon which recommendations were made by the Joint Committee of the Dáil and Seanad. As far as the date for the introduction of the Bill is concerned, I cannot add anything to what I said recently when the Vote for my own Department was under discussion, that I saw no prospect of having the Bill ready for introduction before the autumn.

Mr. Little

Will the Minister have it by the autumn?

Mr. Fitzgerald-Kenney

I hope so.

Vote put and agreed to.