Ms Dympna Kenny:

Victim Support at Court, V-SAC, would like to thank the committee for the opportunity to participate. In the statement I am about to deliver, we summarise the key items recommended to the committee regarding courts and courthouses. These are outlined in more detail in our written submission.

V-SAC is the only voluntary service in Ireland that specialises in court accompaniment for victims of all types of crime. Our service currently operates in the Dublin, eastern and south-eastern courts. V-SAC has an agreed strategy, which includes expanding its service nationwide over the next two to three years. It is V-SAC's mission to provide a safe and supportive environment for victims of all types of crime, their families and prosecution witnesses when they attend court.

V-SAC acknowledges the great work being undertaken by the Courts Service in managing and maintaining the court buildings and the facilities within them. Our recommendations are based on our staff and volunteers' experience working within the criminal courts where our service operates. The facilities in the Criminal Courts of Justice, Parkgate Street, Dublin, are of a high standard and should be used as the benchmark for all courts within the State when considering any renovations or updating of facilities for victims of crime and-or those involved in criminal proceedings. This means no matter what court a criminal case is due to be heard in, all involved in those proceedings are afforded the same level of service and standard of facilities when attending court.

To address the backlog of court cases, V-SAC recommends the following actions. The first is to review the court legal terms and give consideration for staggering court closures, particularly during August and September. The second is to review the sittings for Circuit Courts in the regional courts as some only sit for a number of weeks during the court term. The third is to consider facilitating more Central Criminal Court trials in the regional courts, which would alleviate some of the pressure in the Criminal Courts of Justice. The fourth is to consider non-court venues to hold proceedings, for example, Croke Park, or other suitable venues.

Some positive changes have been introduced because of the restrictions imposed to prevent the spread of Covid-19. For example, the staggering of court lists throughout the day should continue when restrictions are lifted. This would reduce the numbers of people attending at any one time and reduce the waiting times for all involved in the proceedings, especially the victims, as waiting around in the courthouse can add to anxiety levels. V-SAC welcomes the increase in the use of technology within the courts, particularly for remote participation. Where possible, this process could be used more extensively if courthouses are equipped to facilitate that. V-SAC holds the view that every victim should be entitled to access our accompaniment service, regardless of what part of the country they live in. We would be happy to discuss any of the recommendations set out in our submission.