As the Courts Service would see it, delay is the time period that elapses between a matter being brought to the court and its disposal by the court. On crime generally, there is a wider issue with which I must be concerned although it is not a matter in which I have either sole or major responsibility. It is the delay that exists after the detection and charging of an offender. I must be careful in what I say, but it seems to me, based on anecdotal evidence and on what one observes in the media, that Ireland's performance in that area is not as good as other states, particularly United Kingdom jurisdictions. The time within which an offence is committed and someone faces trial frequently seems to be much longer in this jurisdiction than in a neighbouring jurisdiction with a similar legal system.