Sheila Terry (Fine Gael)

I am concerned that the matter could go on and on, as we feared. When an applicant is granted an interim barring order, notice of the application has to be given to the respondent and a date is set for the hearing. The Minister of State has already said the judge will, of course, set the day. The applicant has to serve notice on the respondent as quickly as possible, even though those words are not now in this Bill and I tried earlier to provide for that.

If it takes a few days for the applicant to find the respondent and the case is set down for a Friday, I am concerned that the order may lapse. The applicant would then have to seek another order and a further day would have to be set by the court. That process could go on and on. That is one of the defects in the Bill which I believe my amendment would resolve.