Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Independent)

I do not suppose anybody wants to end up in court if he or she does not have to but very often it is a necessity. Clearly, a court should function well and punctually. Family law cases are the poor relations of the legal system. Significant distress is created for families when they have to put their lives on hold for up to three years before getting closure on failed relationships. I hope this Bill, which I support, will reduce the length of time people have to wait before having their cases heard. Mediation is a preferable approach to family law, although it does not work for everyone.

The conditions in which some of our courts operate are unacceptable. I could rehearse some examples of this problem in my constituency. Investment is needed urgently because we cannot expect people to work in unsatisfactory environments.

Positive developments have been made recently in terms of victim impact statements, which have improved the legal experience for some people. Victims in criminal cases have been made to feel more important to the system and some younger judges have accepted these developments in a proactive manner, with good results.

If there are insufficient judges, there will not be enough time for best practice or retraining. Pressurised case loads are in nobody's interest. This Bill is simple in that it sets out the number of additional judges to be put in place. I note they will be provided support facilities, which is equally important. I hope the Bill will make a difference in terms of reducing the timeframe for cases because the unacceptable delays in family law cases put additional pressure on families which are already facing difficulties.

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