Paul Gogarty (Dublin Mid West, Independent)

With the news reports of increasing levels of domestic abuse, the family courts are under more pressure than ever. I and others have raised before the need to get rid of the in camera rule. I am aware the Minister is doing something at the end of the year, but this possibly needs to happen more quickly because we still have cases going on where so-called experts are giving section 32 and section 47 reports. Sometimes their word is taken as gospel even though they are being paid. Judges take it as gospel. There is no scrutiny of the decisions being made and that needs to have a light shone on it. As a case in point, someone who was at Naas court yesterday for a protection hearing review got in touch to say she was in the 30s on the list, sat for six hours and was told just before 4 p.m. that she was not going to be seen until next January or February. An 86-year-old man was there for six hours on a church pew. All these people are in various states of anxiety waiting for family court decisions. One woman was there eight times because her ex lives in Naas and she is coming from the North. She has not been seen. It needs to be sorted out.

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