Jimmy Devins (Sligo-North Leitrim, Fianna Fail)

The Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform has asked me to thank the Deputy for raising this issue. He welcomes the opportunity afforded today to set out, in some detail, the developments under way in modernising and improving services to court users.

The Courts Service was established as an independent body in November 1999. The service was set up to manage the courts, support the Judiciary and provide a high quality and professional service to all users of the courts. The responsibilities of the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform include ensuring adequate funding for all parts of the criminal justice system, including the courts. I am pleased to say €107 million was provided in the recent budget for the Courts Service in 2008. This represents an increase of 5% on 2007. The Deputy raises two issues, buildings and waiting times, and I will deal with them in turn.

Since its establishment, the Courts Service has been extremely successful in transforming the courts system in this State and this has been widely acknowledged. The service is continuing the major programme of work to provide modern 21st century court buildings in all parts of the country. The allocation for capital works on courthouses next year stands at nearly €30 million. This funding will ensure our courthouse stock is maintained in good condition in keeping with its role as the public expression of the administration of justice in the State. The achievements of the courts building programme are impressive. A new, state-of-the-art criminal courts complex in Dublin is being constructed in Parkgate Street and is due for completion in 2010. The building will concentrate all central Dublin criminal law business in one service location with 22 new court rooms. This will involve the transfer of courts and administrative offices from three jurisdictions — District, Circuit and Central — to the new facility. The centralisation of all criminal business in the new complex will also mean the Four Courts will be freed up for civil business. This is a public private partnership project, PPP, and the biggest undertaking in the justice sector.

Approval has been given to the Courts Service to proceed with nine other greenfield court projects by way of PPP as part of the new envelope of €50 million for such projects over the next two years. Last year courthouse building and refurbishment projects were completed in Tullamore, Bray, Fermoy, Belmullet and Dolphin House in Dublin. This year projects will be completed in Ardee, Thurles, Clones, Blanchardstown and Gorey. Work will begin in 2008 in Kilkenny, Monaghan, Mullingar, Swinford, Manorhamilton, Wexford, Kilmallock, Killaloe, Youghal and Virginia. This is an impressive list and stands as firm evidence of the ongoing efforts to improve our courthouses. This level of development and modernisation is without precedent.

I do not list these projects merely to draw attention to the substantial investment the Government has made, but to highlight the resulting vastly improved facilities for all court users. As well as the impact on waiting lists for criminal trials and civil cases, the new criminal courts complex is being planned with separate transit flows, so that victims and their families no longer have to wait in proximity with an accused person.

The Government is firmly committed to ensuring that judicial resources are adequate to the demands placed on them. Last year, the Courts and Court Officers (Amendment) Act 2007 provided for an additional 14 judges — six judges of the District Court, four judges of the Circuit Court and four judges of the High Court. The additional judges were appointed to deal with delays and generally speed up the judicial process. The waiting time between return for trial and trial in the Central Criminal Court — where the most serious cases are heard — was 18 months in 2002. Today the waiting time for the hearing of cases is six months. The strict application by the court of its own ground rules on adjournments——

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