asked the Minister for Justice the present position regarding delays affecting actions set down for the High Court, if he has satisfied himself with the present situation and the proposals, if any, for bringing about improvements.
377.
Written Answers. - High Court Delays.
376.
asked the Minister for Justice the estimated length of time between the setting down of a High Court action for damages before a jury and the trial of that action in each of the following centres: (1) Dublin, (2) Cork, (3) Limerick, (4) Galway and (5) Kilkenny; and the number of cases at present set down and awaiting hearing at each of these venues.
With the permission of the Ceann Comhairle, I propose to take Questions Nos. 376 and 377 together.
At present, the time-lag between the date of setting down of an action for trial by jury and the date of its coming up for hearing is in some cases as long as 16 months in Dublin and Cork. In Limerick, Galway and Kilkenny the time-lag is at most six months. The High Court will be on circuit at those venues during the month of March when it is expected that the lists will be brought up to date.
In the case of non-jury actions the time-lag between the date of setting down and the date of hearing is approximately three months.
The number of jury actions set down and awaiting hearing at those venues at present is: Dublin, 1,558; Cork, 381; Limerick, 87; Galway, 115; Kilkenny, 4.
The position in relation to civil jury actions in Dublin and Cork deteriorated in 1979 when, because of the postal dispute, it was not possible to serve jury summonses, with the result that no such actions could be held from 9 March 1979 until the commencement of the Michaelmas law term on 1 October 1979. This accounted for almost seven months of the time-lag of 16 months already referred to. When the hearing of jury actions resumed in Dublin, however, a total of 542 such actions was disposed of during the Michaelmas term.
I am not satisfied with the present situation insofar as arrears are concerned but I am hopeful that arrangements which the President of the High Court has made for the disposal of court business over the coming months will considerably reduce the current time-lag in the hearing of jury actions.
Two additional High Court judges were appointed in October last but since Judge Costello has been involved fulltime in holding the Whiddy Island Disaster Inquiry to the exclusion of ordinary court business, the effective strength of the High Court has, for the moment, only been increased by one.