James Lawless (Kildare North, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I echo Deputy Costello's call, and I am glad that the Minister is acting on this issue. Our per capita number of judges is low compared with the rest of Europe and other countries that use common law. That is certainly a concern. It is a theme that has emerged in multiple hearings of this committee in the last 18 months. The lack of judges has arisen as an issue even in unexpected areas. The number of judges across the system is impacting a wide variety of justice issues. It is a matter that has attracted recurring comment in this committee, so I am glad to hear that it is being positively addressed in the Department under the direction of the Minister. I call Deputy Daly.