asked the Minister for Justice whether he is aware that all civil business, including 16 workmen's compensation cases at the Eastern Circuit Court, Wicklow, has had to be adjourned until next February; and, if so, whether he will consider assigning an assistant judge to hear such adjourned cases, and thus make it unnecessary for these injured workmen to have to wait for more than two months for the hearing of their applications.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Hearing of Workmen's Compensation Cases.
The duty of arranging for the despatch of the business of the Circuit Court and of making such temporary assignments of judges as the state of the business in any particular circuit may from time to time require is entrusted by statute to the president of the Circuit Court and I have no functions in the matter.
As to the position in Wicklow, I am informed by the president—that is, the president of the Circuit Court—that the judge of the circuit has arranged to hold special sittings in Wicklow on the 12th, 13th, 18th and 20th January next to dispose of the civil cases which were not reached at the recent sittings owing to the unusually heavy criminal list, which occupied the full period allotted for those sittings. In these circumstances, the president does not consider it necessary to assign a judge temporarily to dispose of the business in question.
Would the Minister say if there is any objection by the judge concerned to a temporary judge being sent to assist him in carrying out the work?
I cannot say that.