Written Answers Nos. 615-634
615. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Justice and Equality her plans to develop the old courthouse on the Boghall Road, Bray, County Wicklow; the stage they are at; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13900/20]
View answerUnder the provisions of the Courts Service Act 1998, management of the courts, including the provision of accommodation for court sittings, is the responsibility of the Courts Service which is independent in exercising its functions.
However, in order to be of assistance to the Deputy, I have had enquiries made and the Courts Service has provided the following update on this matter.
The Courts Service has no plans at present to develop the former courthouse situated on Boghall Road, which has been vacant since 2006, when court sittings and services were relocated to alternative accommodation leased by the Courts Service in the town centre.
While the construction of a county town type courthouse facility at Bray is included amongst the Courts Service projects in the National Development Plan, the current Boghall Road site is considered unsuitable for such a development in terms of size or location.
616. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the progress to date in the determination of the case of a person (details supplied) pursuant to section 3 of the Immigration Act 1999 (as amended); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13966/20]
View answerIn response to a notification pursuant to the provisions of Section 3 of the Immigration Act 1999 (as amended), the persons concerned have submitted written representations.
Their position in the State will now be decided by reference to the provisions of Section 3 (6) of the Immigration Act 1999 (as amended) and all other applicable legislation. All representations submitted will be fully considered in advance of a final decision being made.
Queries in relation to the status of individual immigration cases may be made directly to the INIS of my Department by e-mail using the Oireachtas Mail facility which has been specifically established for this purpose. This service enables up to date information on such cases to be obtained without the need to seek information by way of the Parliamentary Questions process. The Deputy may consider using the e-mail service except in cases where the response from the ISD is, in the Deputy’s view, inadequate or too long awaited.
617. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of recent deaths out of the total of 85 wards of court that occurred in nursing homes; the number of deaths in the reported 85 that died due to Covid-19; the number of the 85 that came under the remit of the general solicitor; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13997/20]
View answerI am informed that sadly, in the period from 12 March 2020 to 29 June 2020, 111 wards of court died, 86 of whom were resident in nursing homes or community hospital settings. The General Solicitor for Minors and Wards of Court was Committee for 19 of those 86 wards.
The Wards of Court Office does not always receive the cause of death. However, the Office has been informed that Covid-19 played a role in the deaths of 17 of these wards of court.
618. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of wards of court who come under the remit of the general solicitor; if there was a family or family member that could have acted as their committee in each case; the average length of time probate takes in such cases by reference to past cases; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13998/20]
View answerThe General Solicitor for Minors and Wards of Court is committee or guardian to 624 wards of court, including 10 minor wards of court.
The General Solicitor is appointed as committee or guardian when there is no family member available to act, willing or in a position to act. The General Solicitor may be appointed as committee where the family are unable to agree who will act as committee. The General Solicitor may be appointed by the Court if the Court believes it is appropriate to do so in the absence of an appropriate family member and in the best interest of the ward.
The General Solicitor’s Office would only deal with a Probate application in very rare circumstances. It is not possible to quantify the time a probate application would take as each individual estate is different and will have different requirements and complexity.
619. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the costings carried out on the programme for Government; and if she will provide documents on those costings. [14034/20]
View answerThe Programme for Government has wide-ranging implications for the work of my Department, and a detailed analysis of the measures included in it is ongoing. Work is also ongoing to implement the changes in the allocation of responsibilities between Departments that have been announced.
The Deputy may wish to note that the briefing notes prepared by all Departments to assist in the Government formation process have been made available by the Department of the Taoiseach on their website:
https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/7b927-programme-for-government-documents/.
620. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the external consultancy organisation or provider which delivered diversity and inclusion training within her Department from 2018 to date; the costs associated with such services; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14059/20]
View answerI wish to inform the Deputy that my Department has not engaged any external consultancy organisation or provider to deliver diversity and inclusion training within the Department from 2018 to date.
My Department has established an Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Committee and members of this Committee will participate in diversity and inclusion training during the year. Diversity and inclusion information is included as part of our monthly induction sessions with new starters to the Department.
My Department is currently working with autism support body As I Am, with a view to rolling out an online module on autism awareness to all staff. My Department is researching options for the delivery of disability awareness training that will fulfil our commitments under the National Disability Inclusion Strategy. Furthermore, an Access Officer has been appointed in accordance with Section 26(2) of the Disability Act.
The Access Officer is responsible for providing, arranging or co-ordinating assistance to persons with disabilities who wish to access the services provided by the Department of Justice and Equality. The Access Officer also acts as a point of contact for persons with disabilities who wish to access such services.
My Department’s LGBT+ Staff Network was established by staff to make the Department a more inclusive place for all through education and awareness raising. Since its foundation, it has run various initiatives, including on how to be a good ally in the workplace, the coming out process and how to support colleagues, and, most recently, to mark the start of Pride month.
My Department also provides guidance and briefings to our internal Interview boards on diversity and inclusion, unconscious bias awareness and applicable law in respect of non-discrimination.
The following revised rely was received on 5 May 2022.
I wish to inform the Deputy that in 2019 the Department adopted a train the trainer model to build the capacity and knowledge of our Immigration Service Delivery teams with respect to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion issues. The Irish Centre for Diversity were engaged to provide training in respect of the relevant legislative framework, and the impact of culture and unconscious bias on our interactions with service users. The upskilling of our internal trainers through this approach amounted to €4980.00.
My Department has established an Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Committee who will be responsible for developing our internal members of this Committee will participate in diversity and inclusion training during the year. Diversity and inclusion information is included as part of our monthly induction sessions with new starters to the Department.
My Department is currently working with autism support body As I Am, with a view to rolling out an online module on autism awareness to all staff. My Department is researching options for the delivery of disability awareness training that will fulfil our commitments under the National Disability Inclusion Strategy. Furthermore, an Access Officer has been appointed in accordance with Section 26(2) of the Disability Act. The Access Officer is responsible for providing, arranging or co-ordinating assistance to persons with disabilities who wish to access the services provided by the Department of Justice and Equality. The Access Officer also acts as a point of contact for persons with disabilities who wish to access such services.
My Department’s LGBT+ Staff Network was established by staff to make the Department a more inclusive place for all through education and awareness raising. Since its foundation, it has run various initiatives, including on how to be a good ally in the workplace, the coming out process and how to support colleagues, and, most recently, to mark the start of Pride month.
My Department also provides guidance and briefings to our internal Interview boards on diversity and inclusion, unconscious bias awareness and applicable law in respect of non-discrimination.
621. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the expenditure her Department incurred in respect of external legal fees in each of the years from 2016 to date in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14076/20]
View answerI wish to advise the Deputy that the information sought cannot be provided in the time allowed. As soon as the information has been collated I will write to the Deputy on the matter.
622. Deputy Marian Harkin asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the average wait time between an IPO decision and her letter of confirmation since the establishment of the IPO in 2017; the average wait time in the each of the years 2017 to 2019; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14081/20]
View answerThe Ministerial Decisions Unit (MDU) of my Department processes the recommendations received from the International Protection Office (IPO) and the decisions of the International Protection Appeals Tribunal (IPAT).
Procedural enhancements within MDU are currently being introduced and are expected to reduce processing time for individual grants of international protection to approximately one week following receipt of a recommendation from the IPO or IPAT.
The following table provides the average processing time for decisions by MDU for each of the years 2017 to 2019.
|
Year |
Average Processing Time for Decision by MDU |
|
2017 |
26 Days |
|
2018 |
58 Days |
|
2019 |
79 Days |
Due to the ongoing Covid-19 situation there have been delays to the time frame for the issuing of international protection decisions. All applicants for international protection who are in receipt of recommendations from the IPO or the IPAT, will hear from the Ministerial Decision Unit in due course in relation to the outcome of their applications and their position in the State. In the meantime, they remain applicants under the International Protection Act 2015.
They have been advised that if their Temporary Residence Card (TRC) is due to expire, they should consult the IPO website http://www.ipo.gov.ie/ or contact the IPO. Resumption of normal timeframes remains under constant review subject to the advice of the HSE and the Chief Medical Officer and once commenced, decisions will be issued as quickly as possible.
623. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Justice and Equality her plans regarding the prompt roll-out and full funding of the decision support service and further to same, the abolition of the ward of court system in view of commitments made by her predecessor to roll out the new decision support service. [14098/20]
View answer630. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Justice and Equality when the decision support service will be established and operational; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14220/20]
View answer633. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the status of the decision support service in the context of wards of court; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14267/20]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 623, 630 and 633 together.
The Assisted Decision-Making (Capacity) Act 2015 (“the 2015 Act”) provides a modern statutory framework to support decision-making by adults with capacity difficulties. The 2015 Act was signed into law on 30 December 2015 but has not yet been fully commenced. The Act provides for the establishment of new administrative processes and support measures, including the setting up of the Decision Support Service (DSS) within the Mental Health Commission (a body under the Department of Health).
A number of provisions of the 2015 Act were commenced in October 2016 in order to progress the setting up of the Decision Support Service and enable the recruitment of the Director of the DSS. Ms Áine Flynn was appointed Director of the DSS on 2 October 2017. The commencement of Part 8 of the Act, which provides a legislative framework for advance healthcare directives, is a matter for the Minister for Health.
Part 6 of the Assisted Decision-Making (Capacity) Act 2015 provides for the phased transition from adult wardship to the new decision-making support arrangements that will be available under the 2015 Act. It provides for the review by the wardship court of the capacity of all current adult wards of court within three years of the commencement of Part 6 of the 2015 Act. In each case, the ward shall be discharged from wardship and the court shall order that the property of the former ward be returned to him or her. The safeguards and procedures of the 2015 Act will apply to a former ward who transitions to any of the new decision-making support arrangements available under the 2015 Act. The current wards of court system will continue to operate until Part 6 of the 2015 Act is commenced. It is not possible to commence Part 6 of the Act until the DSS is operational and ready to roll out the new decision-making support options that will be available under the 2015 Act.
The implementation of the 2015 Act requires that the DSS is fully operational and in a position to offer services including the new decision-making support options. A high-level Steering Group comprising senior officials from the Department of Justice and Equality, the Department of Health, the Mental Health Commission, the Courts Service and the HSE, together with the Director of the DSS, is overseeing the establishment and commissioning of the DSS and this work is ongoing. The Steering Group has given detailed consideration to the feasibility of commencing the remaining uncommenced provisions of the Act however, due to the complexity of the Act and the interconnectivity of its provisions, it is not possible to make any further commencement orders until the DSS is operational. The DSS, led by its Director, is working tirelessly to put in place the necessary infrastructure to support the full commencement of the Act. The infrastructure required includes, amongst many other elements, ICT capability for the DSS. These key preparations are being put in place under the oversight of the Steering Group and will allow for commencement orders for the main operative provisions of the 2015 Act to be made when the necessary preparations have been completed to enable the DSS to roll out the new decision-making support options.
The Department of Justice and Equality has sought and received funding, through the Estimates process, over the last three years to assist the DSS in delivering on its mandate. Further funding will be sought through the Estimates process in 2020 and 2021 but this will of course be subject to available exchequer funding through that process. In the interim, and subject to the funding allocation, the Department of Justice and Equality, in conjunction with the DSS, the Mental Health Commission and other stakeholders have agreed to an implementation plan which anticipates commencement of DSS services in mid-2022. There are also critical dependencies for the DSS on other organisations, including for example the Courts Service and the HSE, Departments of Health amongst others, which need to be delivered in order to achieve this timeline. The Steering Group has been meeting regularly to ensure a co-ordinated approach to the implementation of this project.
624. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality when consideration will be given to naturalisation in the case of a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14119/20]
View answerIn response to a notification pursuant to the provisions of Section 3 of the Immigration Act 1999 (as amended), written representations have been submitted on behalf of the persons concerned.
These representations, together with all other information and documentation on file, will be fully considered, under Section 3 (6) of the Immigration Act 1999 (as amended) and all other applicable legislation, in advance of final decisions being made.
Queries in relation to the status of individual immigration cases may be made directly to the Immigration Service Delivery function of my Department by e-mail using the Oireachtas Mail facility which has been specifically established for this purpose. This service enables up to date information on such cases to be obtained without the need to seek information by way of the Parliamentary Questions process. The Deputy may consider using the e-mail service except in cases where the response from the Immigration Service is, in the Deputy’s view, inadequate or too long awaited.
625. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the progress to date in the determination of an application for citizenship in the case of a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14136/20]
View answerAn application for a certificate of naturalisation from the person referred to continues to be processed with a view to establishing if they meet the statutory conditions for the granting of naturalisation and will be submitted to me for decision as expeditiously as possible.
As the Deputy will appreciate, the granting of Irish citizenship through naturalisation is a privilege and an honour which confers certain rights and entitlements not only within the State but also at European Union level and it is important that appropriate procedures are in place to preserve the integrity of the process.
It is recognised that all applicants for citizenship would wish to have a decision on their application without delay. The nature of the naturalisation process is such that, for a broad range of reasons, some cases will take longer than others to process. In some instances, completing the necessary checks can take a considerable period of time.
Queries in relation to the status of individual immigration cases may be made directly to my Department by e-mail using the Oireachtas Mail facility which has been specifically established for this purpose. This service enables up to date information on such cases to be obtained without the need to seek information by way of the Parliamentary Questions process. The Deputy may consider using the e-mail service except in cases where the response is, in the Deputy’s view, inadequate or too long awaited.
626. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the reason an application for stamp 5 has been refused in the case of a person (details supplied); the most appropriate steps to take now in order to keep their status updated in view of the fact their most current one is due to expire in August 2020; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14148/20]
View answerIn order to qualify for this endorsement, a person must have eight years (96 months) legal residency in the State excluding periods spent as a student. The person concerned did not meet this requirement.
Legal residency is calculated solely on the basis of immigration endorsements in a passport(s) and not on the time that an individual may have been physically in the State. However, it is open to the person concerned to make a new application when they have completed 96 months legal residency in the State.
The person's permission to remain in the State on stamp 3 conditions expires on 15 August 2020. The onus is on the person to keep their permission to remain in the State up to date at all times. However, due to COVID-19 restrictions the Registration Office in Burgh Quay and all Registration Offices for non-Dublin residents operated by An Garda Síochána remain temporarily closed. Consequently, the requirement to present at a registration office to register a new permission or renew a current permission is also temporarily suspended.
The individual concerned can write to the Registration Office at burghquayregoffice@justice.ie for more details on renewing their current permission. Please also note that updates will be provided on the Immigration Service website regarding the reopening of the Registration Office Burgh Quay to registration and renewal of permissions, and I would encourage the Deputy and the person concerned to view the updates on the Immigration Service website at:
http://www.inis.gov.ie/en/INIS/Pages/COVID-19-updates-and-announcements .
627. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the criteria applied to Garda vetting for direct provision centres in view of the fact that friends of some residents have been denied access to centres due to the lack of Garda vetting; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14214/20]
View answerMy Department welcomes and supports interaction between the local community and residents in our Accommodation Centres. Unfortunately, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, our centres were closed to visitors for a number of months, in order to protect our residents and staff.
In line with the phased re-opening of society and gradual lifting of public health restrictions, our centres reopened to certain categories of visitors on Monday 22nd June 2020. These categories included Migrant NGOs, members of Friends of the Centre groups (established in cooperation with the centre management team and International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS), Department of Justice officials and contractors visiting centres for inspections, maintenance and general network management, and other State officials providing services to residents.
The opening up of centres to other categories of visitors including friends and acquaintances from the local community and persons acting in an official capacity requiring one to one contact (e.g. legal representatives and IPAS officials conducting resident clinics) will happen in subsequent phases over the coming weeks in accordance with ongoing consultation with public health officials.
As per the Government guidelines on the further easing of restrictions on movement outside the home, residents can of course meet with anyone from the local community outside of the centre, but in doing so are encouraged to continue following the guidelines on hand hygiene, cough and sneeze etiquette, and social distancing.
In relation to Garda vetting for NGOs and volunteers, this must be done through their own organisation who can then confirm to centre managers that volunteers have up to date and appropriate vetting disclosures.
Individuals not affiliated with an organisation and who wish to volunteer in a centre should contact Volunteer Ireland for advice on how to obtain a Vetting Disclosure. Personal friends and acquaintances of residents do not require Garda vetting.
IPAS has contacted management in a specific centre to clarify the position.
628. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if additional funding will be provided to ensure that swearing in of juries can be conducted while adhering to public health Covid-19 guidelines. [14215/20]
View answerUnder the provisions of the Courts Service Act 1998, management of the courts, including the provision of accommodation for court sittings, is the responsibility of the Courts Service, which is independent in exercising its functions.
However, in order to be of assistance to the Deputy, I have had enquiries made and the Courts Service has provided the following update on this matter.
The priority for the Courts Service at this time is protecting the health, safety and welfare of all court users in line with current government health advice. A review of all Circuit and Central Criminal Courts is under way and a crime business recovery roadmap will be published by the Presidents of the Courts in the coming weeks. It is hoped that there will be a return to Jury Trials in suitable venues in September and a further phase 2 for the Michaelmas term. The Courts Service has indicated that, in the first instance, trials will be prioritised in county town venues of sufficient size to safely host jury trials.
629. Deputy Emer Higgins asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if her Department will meet with the women in a group (details supplied) to discuss matching the funds raised by their release of a single; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14217/20]
View answerI can assure the Deputy that combatting domestic abuse is a priority for me and my Department. It is also an important aspect of the National Strategy for Women and Girls and the Second National Strategy on Domestic, Sexual and Gender-based Violence.
Officials in my Department are in regular contact with stakeholders in the community and frontline services in relation to domestic abuse, including Safe Ireland, which is the organisation benefiting from the fundraising exercise referred to. These interactions and engagements will continue across a number of fora. I am not aware of any meeting request from the group referred to by the Deputy as of yet, but I would of course consider it if received. I would point out that my Department has also provided additional funding directly to Safe Ireland and other organisations, to enable them to adapt their services and continue to operate during the Covid-19 pandemic.
On that point, at an early stage in the Covid-19 pandemic and in recognition of the added risk of domestic abuse which some people face in that context, my Department developed an inter-agency plan to address domestic abuse during this pandemic. An Garda Síochána continues to attach the highest priority to domestic abuse incidents during the pandemic, including through ‘Operation Faoiseamh’, a proactive initiative designed to ensure victims of domestic abuse are supported and protected throughout the period.
As part of this inter-agency plan and in addition to the funding already allocated for 2020, my Department has to date provided an additional €285,000 to organisations in the sector, to support and extend the existing services they offer, during the period of the Covid-19 crisis.
The additional funding provided to date in this way consists of the following:
- Safe Ireland: €36,000 for additional personnel capacity and communicating with their service users, as referred to above;
- Women’s Aid: €63,000 for additional resources to extend the Support and Referral Service and the High Risk Support project;
- Rape Crisis Centre Network Ireland: €50,000 to support the work of local centres and to manage information on advice and guidance for frontline trauma support workers;
- Ruhama: €14,000 for additional support packs for women seeking to exit prostitution;
- Men’s Development Network: up to €39,340 for an extension of the Male Advice line and extra telephone support for the Men Ending Domestic Violence programme;
- Move Ireland: €33,000 for additional helpline and counselling support for perpetrators;
- Rape Crisis Centre Forum: €50,000 for local awareness-raising campaigns and for development of a package of revised service processes, standards and procedures, including adaptations to new ways of working arising from pandemic.
Other actions under the plan aimed at ensuring that domestic abuse and sexual violence continue to receive the highest priority from the civil and criminal justice system. This includes priority by the Legal Aid Board and Courts Service for domestic abuse cases, and availability of a Legal Aid Board helpline to ensure that persons experiencing domestic violence issues get prompt legal advice and legal representation in court where needed.
I understand that Tusla has also put a range of practical supports in place including funding, identification of additional accommodation capacity, and provision of additional ICT resources.
The Deputy may also wish to note that rent supplements are being made available on a short-term basis to victims of domestic abuse, referred via Tusla-funded domestic abuse service providers, with these arrangements to be reviewed after six months of operation.
Finally, the Deputy may be interested to know that my Department is also leading a public awareness campaign on domestic abuse during the Covid-19 crisis, in partnership with frontline services in the community and voluntary sector. Further information on the organisations involved in this initiative as well as services and supports for victims is available on the website www.stillhere.ie.
631. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the residency status in the case of a person (details supplied); when they will be granted permission to work; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14232/20]
View answerMy Department is actively considering the immigration case of the person concerned and requested the submission of additional information and documentation on 10 June 2020. This documentation has not yet been received.
I note from the details you supplied that further documentation has been submitted by the individual concerned. Receipt of the documentation may have been impacted by the limited opening hours in some of our offices due to the Covid-19 pandemic. This practice is in line with Government public health policy on social and physical distancing which has caused disruption to postal flows to and from our offices.
I can confirm that as soon as the information and documentation referred to has been acknowledged by my officials, every effort will be made to progress the immigration case of the person concerned to finality at the earliest possible date.
Queries in relation to the status of individual immigration cases may be made directly to my Department by e-mail using the Oireachtas Mail facility which has been specifically established for this purpose. This service enables up to date information on such cases to be obtained without the need to seek information by way of the Parliamentary Questions process. The Deputy may consider using the e-mail service except in cases where the response is, in the Deputy’s view, inadequate or too long awaited.
632. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the status of an application for naturalisation by a person (details supplied); and if she will request her officials to treat this application as a priority. [14259/20]
View answerAn application for a certificate of naturalisation from the person referred to continues to be processed with a view to establishing whether the applicant meets the statutory conditions for the granting of naturalisation and a decision will be made as expeditiously as possible.
As the Deputy will appreciate, the granting of Irish citizenship through naturalisation is a privilege and an honour which confers certain rights and entitlements not only within the State but also at European Union level and it is important that appropriate procedures are in place to preserve the integrity of the process.
It is recognised that all applicants for citizenship would wish to have a decision on their application without delay. However, the nature of the naturalisation process is such that, for a broad range of reasons, some cases will take longer than others to process. In some instances, completing the necessary checks can take a considerable period of time. The applicant may contact the Citizenship Division by email at citizenshipinfo@justice.ie for updates on their application.
Queries in relation to the status of individual immigration cases may be made directly to my Department by e-mail using the Oireachtas Mail facility which has been specifically established for this purpose. This service enables up to date information on such cases to be obtained without the need to seek information by way of the Parliamentary Questions process. The Deputy may consider using the e-mail service except in cases where the response is, in the Deputy’s view, inadequate or too long awaited.
634. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the courtrooms that have full video link facilities and the capacity to take CCTV evidence; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14292/20]
View answerUnder the provisions of the Courts Service Act 1998, management of the courts, including the provision of accommodation for court sittings, is the responsibility of the Courts Service which is independent in exercising its functions.
However, in order to be of assistance to the Deputy, I have had enquiries made and the Courts Service has informed me that it has installed the following Courtroom video technologies;
- 59 Courtrooms nationwide are equipped with combined video link and video evidence display (includes CCTV viewing) facilities.
- 25 Courtrooms are equipped with video evidence display (includes CCTV viewing) facilities only.
- 2 mobile video evidence display (includes CCTV viewing) solutions for deployment to any Courtroom nationwide.
The Courts Service has also approved and initiated a project to install and provide combined video link and evidence display (includes CCTV viewing) facilities in a further 6 new Courtroom locations in the Four Courts, the Circuit Family Law Court in Smithfield and in Drogheda Courthouse. This project is scheduled for completion in August. The Courts Service continues to review its video technologies capacity and is examining options to install these facilities in other courthouses in the future. An itemised list showing the locations of the above solutions is attached in the following link.
