Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)

I discussed this amendment before I came into the House and sought further legal advice. The Bill provides that the Circuit Court and the High Court are the appropriate courts through which people should seek redress. The threshold for damages in the District Court is very low so I cannot see the advantage of going to that court to seek damages or remedies in the event of someone breaking the law in respect of these offences.

Equally, the point must be made that we are dealing with grave matters some of which are legally complex. The added advantage of the High Court is that it has judges with special expertise assigned to deal with these cases which may not be available at District Court level. This is something we should take into account. For those reasons we have opted for the Circuit Court and the High Court, as opposed to the District Court.