Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Thursday, 25 Jul 1996

Vol. 468 No. 4

Written Answers. - Maintenance Applications.

Alan Shatter

Ceist:

628 Mr. Shatter asked the Minister for Justice the number of applications made by spouses for maintenance pursuant to the Family Law (Maintenance of Spouses and Children) Act, 1976 in the District Court in each of the legal years commencing from 1 August 1985 to 31 July 1986, up to and including the year commencing 1 August 1995 to 31 July 1996, being applications for spousal or child maintenance. [15676/96]

Alan Shatter

Ceist:

629 Mr. Shatter asked the Minister for Justice the number of applications made by mothers and fathers for maintenance for child support pursuant to section 5 (a) of the Family Law (Maintenance of Spouses and Children) Act, 1976 in the District Court and the Circuit Court in each of the legal years commencing from 1 August 1986 to 31 July 1987, up to and including the year commencing 1 August 1995 to 31 July 1996. [15677/96]

Alan Shatter

Ceist:

630 Mr. Shatter asked the Minister for Justice the number of applications made by spouses for maintenance pursuant to the Family Law (Maintenance of Spouses and Children) Act, 1976 in the Circuit Court in each of the legal years commencing from 1 August 1985 to 31 July 1986, up to and including the year commencing 1 August 1995 to 31 July 1996. [15678/96]

Minister for Justice (Mrs. Owen)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 628, 629 and 630 together.

The number of applications made to the Circuit Court for maintenance pursuant to the Family Law (Maintenance of Spouses and Children) Act, 1976 in the legal years 1985-6 and 1986-7 was 242 and 247 respectively. The number of such applications made in the legal years 1987-88 to 1994-95 is not readily available but is being sought.

The number of applications made to the District Court for maintenance pursuant to the Family Law (Maintenance of Spouses and Children) Act, 1976 for the legal years 1985-6 to 1994-5 are set out in the following table:

District Court

	1986	1987	1988	1989	1990	1991	1992	1993	1994	1995
Applications for Maintenance Orders	2,028	1,924	1,625	2,343	2,311	2,426	2,500	2,573	2,846	2,900

I should state that the figures provided in respect of applications for maintenance orders made to the District and Circuit Courts under the Family Law (Maintenance and Spouses) Act, 1976 are in respect of the total number of applications made under the Act. A breakdown of the number of applications made under the different sections of the Act is not readily available and could only be compiled by the allocation of very scarce resources.

In addition, the information sought by the Deputy in respect of the legal year ending on 31 July 1996 will be compiled after the end of the year, and I will arrange for it to be forwarded to the Deputy as soon as possible.