Brian O'Shea (Waterford, Labour)

From the Minister's explanation, this seems to be an oversight that needs to be corrected from the time the legislation was enacted to set up the Courts Service.

In the amendment, the proposed section 65(4) states that all fees collected under an order made under subsection (1) shall be paid into or disposed of for the benefit of the Exchequer in such manner as the Minister for Finance may direct. I take it that all fees go back into the general coffers of the State and do not remain with the Courts Service. Would it not be more practical for that money to remain with the Courts Service, or does this make sure that the service has a more even flow of funding? What is the extent of these fees? How much do they realise in any given year?

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