Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

On the criminal procedure Bill, a large number of murders and serious crimes have been committed in recent weeks, and while we cannot discuss them specifically, there are issues arising from those to which we as an Oireachtas probably need to give further consideration in due course. There are still numerous complaints about delays in trial hearings and in criminal cases. The Council of Europe has raised concerns about delays in criminal cases in Ireland, and there seems to be a consistent delay in tackling this issue. There is a commitment in the programme for Government proposing legislation to reduce excessive delays to trials and court proceedings, including pre-trial hearings. Revised heads of Bill were approved in June of 2015 and pre-legislative scrutiny of it has been completed. Will the Taoiseach confirm when the criminal procedure Bill will be passed through this House?

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