Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Wednesday, 1 May 1991

Vol. 407 No. 7

Written Answers. - Appointment of Peace Commissioners.

Michael Bell

Ceist:

72 Mr. Bell asked the Minister for Justice the number of peace commissioners in the State as at 1 April 1991; the number of peace commissioners in the Drogheda, Dundalk and Navan Garda districts at present; the legislation under which they are appointed; the number of peace commissioners appointed by county in each year in 1989, 1990 and to date in 1991; whether he proposes to amend their powers, responsibilities or duties this year; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

Minister for Justice (Mr. Burke)

There were 7,243 persons on the roll of peace commissioners on 1 April 1991, and the number of peace commissioners in the Drogheda, Dundalk and Navan Garda districts are 59, 66 and 49 respectively.

Peace commissioners are appointed under section 88 of the Courts of Justice Act, 1924. The number of peace commissioners who were appointed in each county in the years 1989, 1990 and in the first three months of 1991, being the latest period for which figures are available, is given in the following table. As regards amending legislation, for reasons which have been explained in this House on previous occasions, I could not undertake to indicate by way of reply to parliamentary questions what specific proposals I might have in regard to legislation in a particular area.

County	1989	1990	1991 (to 31/3/1991)
Carlow	Nil	3	Nil
Cavan	2	3	Nil
Clare	3	7	Nil
Cork	32	25	12
Donegal	6	3	4
Dublin	40	66	9
Galway	5	7	Nil
Kerry	7	3	2
Kildare	3	1	1
Kilkenny	2	1	Nil
Laois	3	1	Nil
Leitrim	1	1	Nil
Limerick	20	9	2
Longford	1	Nil	Nil
Louth	10	2	2
Mayo	11	5	1
Meath	1	5	1
Monaghan	1	5	Nil
Offaly	Nil	1	1
Roscommon	3	4	Nil
Sligo	2	6	Nil
Tipperary	7	15	Nil
Waterford	4	2	Nil
Westmeath	3	2	Nil
Wexford	7	14	1
Wicklow	6	3	Nil
Totals	180	194	36