Alan Farrell (Dublin Fingal, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Cathaoirleach Gníomhach. She is motoring along 40 minutes ahead of schedule. Well done to her.

I thank the Minister of State for his opening remarks and welcome the opportunity to contribute to the debate. The efficiency of our courts underpins the basis of our legal system. We know from multiple reports and observations made over many years that our court systems do not operate as they should, primarily because there are not enough judges, courts and resources. That is borne out in some serious reports, of which the Minister of State will be aware, from the European Commission. This legislation will benefit society greatly through the actions of Government. The Minister of State noted it is two years this month since the work of the Minister, Deputy McEntee, and the Department of Justice instigated this process and it has now reached the floor of the Dáil. As a member of the Oireachtas justice committee on and off for seven years of the past 12 years, that is pretty fast. I commend the Department on that endeavour.

The Bill will allow important increases in the number of judges and judicial sittings, including increasing the maximum number of judges to the Court of Appeals by two to 17, as provided for in section 2. The High Court will increase by six judges to 48, as provided for in section 4, and the Circuit Court will be boosted by five, increasing the number to 45, under section 5. The District Court, which might be considered the entry point to our judicial system, will increase by eight to 28, while increasing the maximum number of judges by eight, resulting in a rise to 71 judges on the court, provided for by sections 3 and 6, respectively. These increases will provide timely access to justice and endeavour that is vital to the State and our population. As has been mentioned by many, the issue has been compounded by Covid in the past two to three years. Without effective and efficient access to justice, public faith in our justice system can be weakened and this situation cannot be allowed to develop. Ensuring adequate resources for our courts benefits all working in the legal system and, perhaps most importantly, the people who seek justice.

I commend the Ministers, Deputy McEntee and Harris, and their departmental officials on the significant work put in to the Family Courts Bill 2022. The Bill will provide effective and efficient access to the family courts and these changes will develop a dedicated family court operating with the existing court structure in the State and will allow us to develop better infrastructure, technology and funding, which I hope will dramatically improve the pursuit of family justice. Critically, this will allow us to create a family court system that puts children at its core. We must achieve this as promptly as possible by getting that Bill across the line along with this one. Building on the Family Justice Strategy 2022-2025, an important step taken by this Government, we will be able to provide easier access to information about the family justice system; children and the most vulnerable will be provided with improved supports; services and supports will be easier to find; and more. This will allow us to analyse different areas of family justice, which can allow us to implement more reforms and offer better support in future.

The Bill will provide an opportunity to remove the access to justice issues we have had for some years. I welcome the speed at which the Department and Ministers have moved to address the matter. I listened carefully to my colleagues opposite, particularly members of Sinn Féin, and nothing unreasonable was said. Having been recently reappointed to the justice committee, the committee members of all parties and none work well together and it has been a positive experience, it being my third stint on the committee.

Notwithstanding the significant cynicism of the previous speaker I do think some very positive things are happening in the justice sphere and in particular in our courts. The Minister and the Department will be bringing through a combination of Bills to modernise our court system, strengthen community safety and, most importantly, reduce re-offending. This would be something we should all be very proud of if we can achieve it. I know a lot of jurisdictions struggle with access to justice and reducing the rates of crime and re-offending.

There is an opportunity for us to innovate in the Courts Service. Providing additional resources is not just about providing additional judges. It is also about providing the personnel to support those judges in the carrying out of their duties. It is, of course, imperative that those individuals are properly staffed and resourced with the appropriate technology to assist them in doing their job. The key issue of access to justice should be a more efficient experience for the general public in getting what is rightfully theirs. In certain instances, particularly with regard to the family courts, the protection of the courts and the protection of the State applies. I commend the Bill and I thank the Minister of State for his work on it. He has contributed to the process greatly.

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