Batt O'Keeffe
Question:55 Mr. B. O'Keeffe asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the number of access orders granted up to the end of 1999. [8723/00]
Written Answers. - Courts Service.
I am informed by the chief executive officer of the Courts Service that the courts have jurisdiction to make access only orders and combined custody and access orders and that it is not possible to distinguish the access only element of a joint custody and access order.
I am also informed that the provisional figure for the number of access orders and custody and access orders which were granted in the District Court during the legal year ended 31 July 1999 is 1,785. The actual number of such orders granted in the District Court during the legal year ended 31 July 1998 was 1,742. A breakdown of these figures is set out in the following table.
Access Orders granted by the District Court
|
Provisional Figures for Year ending 31/07/1999 |
Actual Figures for Year ending 31/07/1998 |
|
|
Access Only Orders |
1,354 |
1,177 |
|
Custody and Access Orders |
431 |
565 |
Access orders are made occasionally in the Circuit and High Courts. I am informed by the Courts Service that statistics in relation to access orders granted by the Circuit Court for the year ended 31 July 1999 are currently being compiled and will be forwarded to the Deputy as soon as they are finalised. Statistics in respect of such orders in the High Court are not maintained and could only be compiled by examining each individual court file which would require the allocation of disproportionate staff resources at the expense of other operational duties which would not be warranted.