Courts Service Administration

Dáil Éireann Debate, Friday - 16 September 2016

Friday, 16 September 2016

Questions (102)

Josepha Madigan

Question:

102. Deputy Josepha Madigan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality if her attention has been drawn to the fact that in the Dublin Circuit Family Court on 17 June 2016 the fixing of hearings list before the County Registrar listed cases for hearing in January 2017 but due to the number of cases in the court system cases on that day were being given a hearing date in excess of six months later; if her attention has been drawn to the reasons for this delay; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25048/16]

Written answers

Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality

The Deputy will be aware that the Courts Service Act 1998 provides that management of the courts is the responsibility of the Courts Service which is independent in exercising its functions, including the scheduling and hearing of court cases.

However, in order to be of assistance to the Deputy, I have had inquiries made and the Courts Service has informed me that County Registrars, in exercising their quasi judicial functions, are independent in the exercise of such functions. The availability of dates for hearings in the courts is determined by the estimated duration of such hearings. In relation to the fixing of hearing dates in the Dublin Circuit Family Court on 17 June 2016, most of the requests for hearing dates were accommodated in October/November 2016 which is a waiting time of 4 to 5 months and also includes the summer vacation period. However, certain hearings were estimated to require a longer period than normal and these cases were therefore listed for later dates when the courts had sufficient time to hear the matters to a conclusion.