Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

My assessment of the matter is that the public is entitled to an efficient justice system that provides them with prompt access to that system and gives them a fair hearing and a reasoned decision that is not too costly. People recognise that if there are lawyers representing people in court, they will be paid. However, we need to look at making the system more efficient. There is too much in the civil area. There is too much control by the parties themselves of the litigation. The State needs to play a much greater role in determining when a case will be heard, expediting it, having procedures to strike it out at an early stage if it is evident it will not win and just taking more control of it, as opposed to the present situation whereby the parties probably have too much control as to how the case meanders down the road. I do not know if any of the witnesses have any comments to make about that.