Vol. 364 No. 4
asked the Minister for Justice if it is his intention to introduce an alternative system for dealing with prosecutions relating to traffic offences, parking offences and all other ordinary on-the-spot fine offences to reduce the amount of time spent by members of the Garda Síochána on court attendances throughout the country; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
150.
asked the Minister for Justice if he is satisfied that an inordinate amount of valuable crime detection time in Galway is spent in court attendances by gardaí; and if he is happy with this situation.
I propose to take Questions Nos. 149 and 150 together.
Proposals aimed at reducing the amount of Garda time spent in the courts are constantly under review by the Garda authorities and certain changes in procedures within the courts system have already been put into effect notably in the Dublin Metropolitan District Courts where a great deal of summonses scheduling work has been computerised. The implementation of other proposals will require amending legislation. I should mention that sections 12 and 22 of the Criminal Justice Act, 1984, which provide, in certain circumstances, for the admissibility as evidence in criminal trials of proof by written statement and proof by formal admission, would have the effect of reducing Garda time spent in court attendance.
With regard to the situation in Galway District Court, I understand cases are dealt with expeditiously, and that the timetable of cases is arranged so that Garda cases, in which a garda is prosecuting in his own name, are called first in each day's session so that individual gardaí are not unduly delayed in court.
A measure that is generally considered appropriate in relation to the reduction of Garda time spent in court attendance is the extension of the fine-on-the-spot system. The question of improving and extending the existing system is one of the matters currently being considered by the inter-departmental committee on enforcement of roads related legislation under the aegis of the Minister for the Environment.
