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Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 7 Jun 1978

Vol. 307 No. 4

Written Answers . - Family Law Court Cases .

167.

asked the Minister for Justice the number of special summonses which were issued in each year from 1973 up to and including 1977, in which one parent was seeking custody of children from another parent.

171.

asked the Minister for Justice the number of special summonses which were issued in each year from 1973 up to and including 1977 in the High Court, in which one spouse sought an order for maintenance either for his or her own support or for the support of the children.

173.

asked the Minister for Justice the number of High Court summonses issued in which a claim was made under the Illegitimate Children (Affiliation Orders) Act, 1931, as amended in each of the years from 1973 up to and including 1977.

: With the permission of the Ceann Comhairle I propose to take Questions Nos. 167, 171 and 173 together.

The statistical records of the High Court are not compiled in a way that would enable the information sought to be readily provided. The information is, however, being abstracted from the court's files and I will forward it to the Deputy as soon as it becomes available.

168.

asked the Minister for Justice the number of cases which were heard in the High Court in each year from 1973 up to and including 1977 in which one of the matters in dispute was the custody of a child.

: The information sought in the question is not readily available and could not be specially compiled without the expenditure of a disproportionate amount of staff time.

169.

asked the Minister for Justice the number of District Court summonses which were issued in the Dublin Metropolitan District Court between May 1976 and May 1978 under the Family Law (Maintenance of Spouses and Children) Act, 1976.

: The number of summonses issued on foot of personal applications for Maintenance Orders under the Act during the period in question was 751.

The number of summonses issued on foot of personal applications for Barring Orders under the Act during the period 1 May 1976 to 31 December 1977—figures are not readily available for the period January to May 1978—was 500.

In addition to summonses issued on foot of personal applications summonses are issued at the request of solicitors acting on behalf of clients. No exact figures are available in relation to the number of summonses issued in this way but it is estimated that it would amount to about 20 per cent of the figures given above.

170.

asked the Minister for Justice the number of District Court summonses issued for the hearing of proceedings under the Family Law (Maintenance of Spouses and Children) Act, 1976, which were heard in District Courts outside the Dublin Metropolitan area.

: In the time available it has not been possible to obtain the information requested by the Deputy. I will, however, arrange to have the information supplied to the Deputy as soon as possible.

172.

asked the Minister for Justice the number of District Court affiliation summonses which were issued in the Dublin Metropolitan District Court in each year from 1975 up to and including 1977.

: The number of affiliation summonses issued in the Dublin Metropolitan District in each of the years 1975, 1976 and 1977 was as follow:

Year

Number of affiliation summonses issued

1975

19

1976

20

1977

37

174.

asked the Minister for Justice the number of Fit Person Orders under the Children Act, 1908 which were made by the Dublin Metropolitian District Court in each year from 1970 up to and including 1977.

: The number of Fit Person Orders made by the Metropolitian District Court in each of the years 1970 to 1977, inclusive, was as follows:

Year

Number of Fit Person Orders made

1970

nil

1971

nil

1972

1

1973

9

1974

6

1975

7

1976

34

1977

20

175.

asked the Minister for Justice the number of Fit Person Orders under the Children Act, 1908, as amended, which were made by the District Courts in each year from 1970 up to and including 1977, outside the Dublin Metropolitan region.

: The information sought by the Deputy is not readily ascertainable from the records maintained in provincial district court offices. The abstraction of the information would involve a disproportionate expenditure of court time.

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