asked the Minister for Justice the proposals he has to update the administration of the courts.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Courts Administration.
5.
Court procedures are kept under review by the Rules Committees and by the Committee on court Practice and Procedure. The most recent report furnished by the Committee on court Practice and Procedure relates to the jurisdiction of the courts and, as I informed the House in my reply to Question No. 12 of 27 March 1980, I hope to bring before the House reasonably soon a Bill dealing with the extension of the jurisdictions of the Circuit and District Courts. There are also a number of other matters relating to court practice and procedure, many of them arising out of recommendations in earlier reports of the committee, on which a good deal of preparatory work has been done, and I expect in due course to seek government approval to the introduction of further Bills to cover these.
Aspects of court administration, such as personnel requirements, accommodation and other facilities are the subject of continual review, up-dating and improvement by my Department. I dealt with court accommodation in my reply to Question No. 370 of 4 March 1980.
Can the Minister offer the House nothing better than another reference to another committee about to report, in view of the fact that the question on the Order Paper quotes precisely the words in the manifesto of three years ago on page 36 under the heading "Justice"? Is he aware of the very serious and increasing backlog in the court system which threatens a complete breakdown in the system of hearings, particularly in injury cases, unless something dramatic is done? When may we expect some action from the Minister rather than this constant reference to committees? I ask him to take the responsibility which is rightly his.
If the Deputy was as keen to listen to what I had to say as he is to ask his supplementary questions—
I listened and I read the Minister's previous replies.
The Deputy has to wait for the reply.
I will again repeat that I hope to bring to the House very shortly a Bill dealing with the extension of the jurisdictions of the Circuit and Districts Courts which will make significant progress in this particular area. I have not been notified by the Chief Justice, the President of the High Court and the President of the Circuit Court that the court system is about to break down.
Did the Minister feel it necessary to await a request from anyone of the personnel attached to the courts prior to making this specific commitment in the manifesto that the administration of the courts would be revised and improved on the basis that justice delayed is justice denied?
The Deputy cannot quote at Question Time.
Why did the Minister make that commitment?
If there were difficulties in the courts that need to be attended to right away I have no doubt that in the past the appropriate people would have come to me if they thought they should and would have made me aware of the situation.
The responsibility is the Minister's.