asked the Minister for Justice if the question of providing a separate circuit court for Dún Laoghaire has now been considered; and what decision has been reached on the matter.
34.
Ceisteanna — Questions. Oral Answers. - Dún Laoghaire Courts.
33.
asked the Minister for Justice if the question of providing a separate district court for Dún Laoghaire has now been considered; and what decision has been reached on the matter.
I propose with your permission, a Cheann Comhairle, to take Questions Nos. 33 and 34 together.
The position is that the Committee on Court Practice and Procedure, which was set up in 1962 to consider matters relating to the courts, have furnished me with their recommendations in regard to the venues for sittings of the district court throughout the city and county of Dublin. I have caused copies of the committee's recommendations to be furnished to interested bodies and I am at present awaiting the observations of these bodies on the question. I may say that one of the bodies to which a copy of the committee's recommendations was sent was the Dún Laoghaire Corporation, who furnished me last week with their observations.
The question of district court sittings at Dún Laoghaire will be examined in the general examination of the committee's recommendations for the city and county. I propose to leave consideration of the question of circuit court sittings in Dún Laoghaire aside until I have reached a decision in relation to sittings of the district court.
Does the Minister recall the problem brought to his attention in about June last regarding the circuit court sitting in one courtroom which was up a series of flights of stairs and in which a number of workmen's compensation cases were being heard? The Minister stated that he was looking into the matter to see if the court could be located in a more convenient place. Does this come within the purview of this matter?
It will. I have actively pursued the question and hope to get a solution in the broad context of this arrangement.
Can the Minister say if, in considering the question of a separate district court for Dún Laoghaire, the question of the area of jurisdiction of the district court area, including Dún Laoghaire, South County Dublin, and also the Bray district, will be taken into account? At present because of the allocation of districts, responsibility is in respect of particular areas on an old townland basis and many awkward situations arise and, indeed, costly situations both for litigants and for professional people, because of the manner in which the business has to be arranged.
I appreciate the difficulties. I have received quite an amount of correspondence on the matter and my predecessor received some deputations in regard to it and I can assure the Deputy that I will give the matter the fullest consideration before I come to a decision on the recommendations.
Is the Minister aware of the fairly widespread concern throughout the county generally about the prospect of reducing the number of centres where courts are held, in an area which is expanding rapidly?
The question relates to the Dublin area.
These recommendations came not from me but from a committee——
I appreciate that.
——and all I can say is that these recommendations have been circulated to all kinds of people who would be concerned and I am waiting to hear from them before coming to a decision.
Is the Minister aware that the recommendations have been violently opposed by some members of the legal profession?
I am but we are more concerned with the service of the public. While I appreciate that the legal profession have an interest in the matter, I am far more concerned with the service of the public.
The Minister will appreciate that the public do not become concerned until they become involved in a court case and for that reason he may not get quite as much reaction from them now as he would afterwards.
This is a line of country in which I am not without some experience.