asked the Minister for Justice (a) the number of judges sitting full-time in the family courts; and (b) the number sitting part-time.
Written Answers. - Family Courts.
58.
Limerick East): It is a matter for the President of the High Court to arrange for the distribution of the business of the High Court, including family law business, among the judges assigned to it. As far as the Circuit Court and the District Court are concerned it is a matter for the Presidents of these courts to arrange for the distribution of business in Dublin among judges and justices.
Outside Dublin specific distribution of family law business does not arise since family law cases are dealt with by the locally assigned judges and justices as part of the normal performance of their judicial functions.
Accordingly, only in Dublin would it be open to the Presidents to assign business in a way which would involve particular judges or justices dealing exclusively with family law cases. The present position as I understand it, is that one High Court Judge and one Justice of the District Court are engaged full-time on family law business and one High Court judge is engaged on a part-time basis. The practice is to rotate the work among available judges and justices. In the Circuit Court, so far, family law cases do not call for the employment of a judge on a full-time basis and the President conducts the business himself on a part-time basis.