Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 14 Feb 1995

Vol. 449 No. 1

Written Answers. - Judicial Separation and Family Law Reform Act, 1989.

Alan Shatter

Question:

162 Mr. Shatter asked the Minister for Justice the number of applications made and decrees granted under the Judicial Separation and Family Law Reform Act, 1989, in each Circuit Court area for the periods 1 August 1993 to 31 July 1994 and 1 August 1994 to 31 December 1994; and the total number of such Circuit Court applications made and decrees granted from the commencement of the Act to 31 December 1994. [3234/95]

Alan Shatter

Question:

163 Mr. Shatter asked the Minister for Justice the grounds on which decrees under the Judicial Separation and Family Law Reform Act, 1989, were granted in the Circuit Court in each county in the 1993-94 legal year and the period 1 August 1994 to 31 December 1994. [3235/95]

Alan Shatter

Question:

164 Mr. Shatter asked the Minister for Justice the number of applications made and decrees granted under the Judicial Separation and Family Law Reform Act, 1989, by the High Court in the 1993-94 legal year and from 1 August 1994 to 31 December 1994; the grounds on which such decrees were granted; and the total number of such applications made and decrees granted from the commencement of the Act to 31 December 1994. [3236/95]

Alan Shatter

Question:

165 Mr. Shatter asked the Minister for Justice the total number of proceedings issued under the Judicial Separation and Family Law Reform Act, 1989, currently awaiting hearing in each Circuit Court area and in the High Court. [3237/95]

Minister for Justice (Mrs. Owen)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 162 to 165, inclusive, together.

Court statistics are complied on the basis of the legal year which runs from 1 August to 31 July.

With regard to the Circuit Court the total number of applications made and decrees granted under the Judicial Separation and Family Law Reform Act, 1989 for the 1993-94 legal year is 2,806 and 988 respectively. A breakdown of these figures for each Circuit Court area is set out in the following table. Such information as is available regarding the grounds on which decrees under the Act were granted in this period is being compiled at present and will be forwarded to the Deputy as soon as possible.The total number of applications made and decrees granted in the Circuit Court up to 31 July 1994 since the commencement of the Act is 9,389 and 3,374 respectively.

Circuit Court statistics for the period 1 August 1994 to 31 December 1994 have not yet been compiled. These statistics will be forwarded to the Deputy as soon as they become available. I have also made arrangements for details of the number of proceedings issued under the Act currently awaiting hearing in each Circuit Court area to be forwarded to the Deputy as soon as possible.

Details of the number of applications made and decrees granted in the High Court under the Judicial Separation and Family Law Reform Act, 1989 are as follows:

	Applications Made	Decrees Granted
1-8-1993 to 31-7-1994	41	21
1-8-1994 to 31-12-1994	23	8

Details of the grounds on which the decrees in the High Court were granted are not available.

The total number of applications made and decrees granted in the High Court up to 31 December 1994 since the commencement of the Act is 212 and 84 respectively. The number of proceedings under this Act currently awaiting hearing in the High Court is 23.

Judicial Separation and Family Law Reform Act, 1989

County	Total Applications made 1993-94	Total Applications granted 1993-94
Carlow	23	5
Cavan	17	13
Clare	14	14
Cork	547	134
Donegal	50	37
Dublin	395	327
Galway	556	71
Kerry	59	17
Kildare	167	20
Kilkenny	14	14
Laois	45	12
Leitrim	22	9
Limerick	223	37
Longford	6	4
Louth	32	32
Mayo	30	12
Meath	32	23
Monaghan	99	36
Offaly	61	15
Roscommon	20	21
Sligo	35	33
Tipperary	101	11
Waterford	30	12
Westmeath	20	20
Wexford	14	19
Wicklow	194	40
Total	2,806	988