Vol. 458 No. 2
126 Mrs. T. Ahearn asked the Minister for Justice the number of family law court sittings which were held in County Tipperary in 1994 and 1995; the number of hearings planned for 1996; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16680/95]
Circuit Court statistics are compiled on the basis of the legal year which runs from 1 August to 31 July. In the legal years 1993-94 and 1994-95 I am informed that there were 12 one day sittings and 16 one day sittings respectively of the Circuit Family Court in County Tipperary. There are four Circuit Court venues in County Tipperary i.e. Clonmel, Nenagh, Thurles and Tipperary and the Circuit Family Court sits at each of these venues.
With regard to the hearing of family law business in the 1995-96 legal year, I am informed that to date two family law sittings have been fixed i.e. 15 January at Nenagh and 11 March at Clonmel. As the Deputy will appreciate under the Rules of the Circuit Court the fixing of sittings of the Circuit Court is a matter for the Judge of each circuit and is one in which I have no function. I understand, however, from the Circuit Court Office that family law business will be included in the draft list for each of the Circuit Court venues in County Tipperary and the time to be allocated to family law will be decided at the presittings meetings, which are held approximately three weeks before each court sitting to arrange the lists of cases for hearing at each venue.
