Niall Collins (Limerick, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The information which the Minister has provided points to a continuing major dysfunction in the execution of bench warrants, particularly as such warrants are the bread and butter upon which the criminal justice system works when judges are ordering people to appear before them or in committing people to prison. If that plank of our criminal justice system is breaking down to the degree described, the figures must serve as a wake-up call to the Minister and her Government. In July 2012, there were 124,000 bench warrants outstanding and as of the first quarter of this year, the figure is approximately 113,000. That is unjustifiable and indicative of a major dysfunction. The people impacted the most are victims of crime, and we must be most concerned about them. I take it that the Minister's reply is an admission that there is a failure to execute these warrants, which is a major issue facing the criminal justice system. What specific actions does the Minister intend to take to put this issue right and eliminate this major dysfunction from our criminal justice system?

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