Mr. Brendan Ryan:

There is a reform and development directorate in the Courts Service which looks after court rules and proposed legislation. It would have significant liaison with the Department of Justice and Equality in respect of all legislation, no matter what stage it is at and how far it has progressed.

I had dealings on our views on this with the Secretary General of the Department of Justice and Equality. There would be constant communication on all proposed legislation that would impact on the courts. The level of interaction between us and the Department of Justice and Equality is excellent in this regard. I am not saying we get our way. Normally, we do not. However, we have a significant interaction. As we have gone through seven torrid years of cuts, we have indicated to the Department that any proposal for a new court, such as a family law court, will require significant investment and will not come cheaply to the Exchequer.