Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Thursday, 16 Dec 1999

Vol. 512 No. 8

Written Answers. - Departmental Staff.

Jim Higgins

Ceist:

104 Mr. Higgins (Mayo) asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the number of stenographers working at the Four Courts, Dublin, recruited through Civil Service competition; the numbers of freelance stenographers employed there; and the amount and system of payment in the case of each of the above categories for each of the years from 1996 to date. [27430/99]

Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform (Mr. O'Donoghue)

I am informed by the Courts Service that there are currently eight stenographers employed by the Courts Service. This includes four job sharers. The stenographers are salaried employees of the Courts Service. While these stenographers are based in the Four Courts their work is not confined to servicing the Dublin Courts and they also provide stenography services to the provincial circuit criminal courts. The salary scale for a stenographer ranges from £18,435 at point of entry to a maximum of £28,155. The salary scale of the chief stenographer ranges from £23,026 to £32,553. The salary costs of the stenographers for the three years 1997 to 1999 are set out in the following table.

Number and Cost of providing Stenographers to the Courts Service

Year ending	Number of Stenographers Employed by the Courts Service	Salaried Cost of the Stenographers employed	Number of Freelance Stenographers employed	Invoiced Cost of Freelance Stenographers
		£		£
31/12/97	7 including 3 job sharers	129,085	n/a	355,819.70
31/12/98	7 including 3 job sharers	133,682	n/a	708,198.30
31/12/99	8 including 4 job sharers	147,688	n/a	655,091.68

The Courts Service also engages freelance stenographers to provide stenography services as required to the Chancery and Family Law Courts of the High Court, the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, the Central Criminal Court, the Special Criminal Court and the provincial circuit criminal courts. It is not possible to provide information on the number of freelance stenographers engaged solely to service the Dublin courts in the period 1996 to 1999. Freelance stenographers are paid in accordance with a recognised standard scale of fees. The current scale of fees is set out in the following table. These fees are currently under review.

The amount paid to freelance stenographers for service provided in all courts in the last three years are also set out on the table. It is not possible to provide a breakdown of the fees paid to freelance stenographers for providing a service to the Dublin courts and fees paid to freelance stenographers for providing a service to provincial courts.

Scale of Fees Payable to Freelance Stenographers:

	£
Taking Notes of Evidence:
(a)Each four hour day engaged (or part thereof)	112.86
(b)First two hours (or part thereof) in excess of four hour day	45.10
(c)Period between two and four hours (or part thereof) in excess of four hour day	90.20
Transcript of Evidence for Appeal
Copy (certified by short-hand writer) to be lodged in court and a copy to the appellant's solicitor (inclusive fee for both copies) per folio	1.43
Copy of respondent per folio	0.95
Additional copies per folio	0.08
Overnight Transcript
Original together with two copies, per folio	4.04
Additional copies	0.38
In Dublin the following rates apply for overnight transcripts.Flat fee of £1,000 with provision for an additional payment of £250 in cases where the court sits late. Fees quoted are all ex VAT.