Niamh Smyth (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister for her opening statement and the significant increases in funding for various aspects of the Department. She referred to modernisation of the Courts Service. Last week, the committee heard profound accounts relating to sexual assault and rape cases. We heard from the legal profession that there is training available within the court system, but that training is on a voluntary basis. The committee did not get the impression that there is a significant emphasis on the training. Obviously, there has been a significant rise in the number of cases of domestic violence and coercive control and all of that. Is training in that particular area for legal professionals part of the planning for that increased expenditure on court modernisation?