John McGuinness (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I wish to ask a question that I put to officials from the Department of Justice and Equality last week relating to a note I received. I want to establish the cost of this type of thing and how often it happens. This was from an individual who had been summonsed as a prosecution witness in a multiple larceny and drugs case that required a special sitting of the Circuit Court. Present was a judge, a 12-person jury, five gardaí, senior counsel and a solicitor for the State, a senior counsel, a junior and solicitor for the defence, and four court staff. The individual who sent me the e-mail advised me that the accused did not show up. This special sitting had been arranged with all these individuals present, paid by the taxpayer. The individual concerned, who took the bother to write me, informed me that when he asked he was told that was just the system in terms of that no show. How often does that happen? All the teams turned up to hear the case but the individual did not.