Charles Flanagan (Laois, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I acknowledge the separation of powers and the fact that the matter of sentencing is exclusively one for the courts and the Judiciary. However, I wish to advise the House that I recently met the President of the District Court and the Attorney General.

I acknowledge certain pressures on the District Court system, which, by and large, has remained unreformed since the 1920s. I am looking at a number of options in terms of a review of the District Court jurisdiction and the form of the District Court so that there are certain structures within the District Court that ensure the confidence of the people in what is effectively the court of first instance, which deals with hundreds of thousands of our citizens annually. I take seriously the outcomes of last night's RTÉ programme and will advise the House accordingly in the new year of options available to me in terms of review.

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