Thomas Gould (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

There are major issues with our court system at the moment. Delays have had a massive impact on everyone involved. Is it any surprise when this State has an average of 3.27 judges per 100,000 people compared with an EU average of 17.6 judges per 100,000 people.

I want to explicitly discuss delays beyond the District court and the Circuit Court. The family courts deal with safety orders for victims of domestic violence. They are often sought under extremely difficult circumstances and when situations are at crisis point. Victims of domestic abuse, including children in the home witnessing this, need an urgent response. Yet, data released by the Courts Service from the third quarter of 2022 show that in some areas people are left waiting on average four months for a hearing on these.

I am proud to be a Deputy who works with victims of domestic abuse, but there is very little I can do except point people in the right direction, give them moral support and a listening ear, and give them the contact details of those who are there to help. It is the courts that people need, however. The courts provide protection and can give gardaí the orders they need to ensure there is no more harm done to these victims and their children. This needs to happen swiftly. It is very important that we see proactive change so these cases move forward and are prioritised, and to ensure no one is left waiting four months for a hearing.

I also want to touch on the coroner's court. I was recently involved in supporting a constituent named Evan Gearns through this very difficult process. Evan's brother, Andrew, passed away in Cork Prison. The long wait for the Coroner's report to hear Andrew's case was extremely difficult for the family but they persevered. Thanks to their perseverance the inquest was heard in February this year. The results of this inquest were four very specific recommendations. I have submitted parliamentary questions and written to the Minister regarding these recommendations. I have sought a timeline for their implementation and a commitment that these recommendations will be implemented. I have also requested that the Minister meet with Evan, who has done a huge amount of work on this. I reiterate that call. We are still waiting on a timeline and a commitment. If the Minister was to meet Evan he would realise the importance of what he has to say.

The Bill is a step forward, but it is only one step. We need to see a concerted effort and particularly an effort to create an easier environment for victims in a court system. The reliance on charities and NGOs to accompany victims to court must end. We must reform how we view the courts' system. It is worrying that today's reforms were first flagged over one decade ago. This highlights just how slow the reform is of these systems. It is time to have a clear look at it now. We need more judges, we need more support for victims, and we need easier access to justice. As my colleague said earlier, justice delayed is justice denied.

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