asked the Minister for Justice if he is aware of the serious overcrowding on court days in the Rathfarnham and Howth district court buildings; and how soon new court buildings will be provided at those places or other steps taken to permit justice to be administered in reasonably tolerable conditions.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Overcrowding in County Dublin Courts.
15.
The increase in recent years in the population of a number of Dublin suburbs, including Rathfarnham and Howth has made it necessary to review the suitability of arrangements for sittings of the District Court. This review is being carried out by my Department, and future arrangements for courthouses must await the results of the review, which because of its complexity and the need to consult various interests, will take some time to complete.
I accept that overcrowding may occur on certain sitting days at Rathfarnham and Howth, where the courthouses are exceptionally small. Under an arrangement made in 1965 in Howth to facilitate the public and to reduce overcrowding, cases for hearing are divided into three lists, two of which are taken at fixed times in the morning and the third at a fixed time in the afternoon. In view of a recent complaint about overcrowding, the numbers of cases in these lists have already been reduced, and special court sittings have been provided to relieve the pressure on the scheduled sittings.
I intend to introduce separate lists of cases, with fixed times for each list, in Rathfarnham court, and this should reduce the number of persons who find it necessary to be present in court at the one time. The position at both centres will continue to be kept under review.