Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 11 October 2023
174. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Justice the extent to which it might be envisaged to augment/upgrade or modernise the court system given the changing requirements on the administration of justice; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44455/23]
View answerMy Department is committed to driving the modernisation and Digital First agenda across the entire Justice Sector.
This is reflected in Budget 2024, as €183.5 million was allocated for the Courts vote, including capital funding of €67 million. This builds on significant investment in recent years, with a total allocation of €176.5 million in 2023, and €163,966,000 in 2022.
The Courts Service Modernisation Programme is the 10-year programme which will deliver a new operating model for the Courts Service – designed around the user, with simplified and standardised services and accessible data to inform decisions – all delivered through digital solutions.
I particularly welcome the commitment set out by the Courts Service in its Corporate Strategic Plan 2021 – 2023, to maximise the use of digital technologies to provide an improved and user-centred service. The recently launched 360 virtual tours of our Court buildings, along with the newly developed, plain English family law information on the courts.ie website are really positive and exciting examples of this.
Towards the end of 2020, the Courts Service committed an investment in excess of €2.2 million to expand the number of courtrooms that are technology enabled. These courtrooms support remote and hybrid hearings and allow parties, witnesses, prisoners or An Garda Síochána to dial in remotely to a physical courtroom and support digital evidence display.
The project brought the number of up-to-date technology courtrooms from 55 in 2020 to 136 today. All 136 video enabled Courtrooms are equipped with full digital evidence presentation suites which include full video link facilities. Investment is committed to continuing the expansion of technology enabled courts into 2024. These examples are among a number of initiatives and investments that have been implemented as part of the courts modernisation programme.
