Jim Walsh (Fianna Fail)

While my party has agreed to support the Bill, I am not happy with it. Section 2 repeals the provision allowing for the automatic entitlement of newly appointed judges to an usher and a crier. If new judges can do without their criers, why do existing judges need them?

I ask the Minister of State to comment on the other staff put at judges' disposal, such as drivers, and whether the regime applies to staff of the Circuit Court and District Court. I have come across complaints that solicitors making applications for licences intimated to their clients it would be prudent to make a contribution to certain staff of the Judiciary. I thought this was completely unethical and I raised the matter with previous Ministers for Justice and Equality. However, while they were aware of this practice I do not believe anything was done about it. I ask the Minister of State to outline to the House the staffing arrangements at different levels of the Judiciary. I see no reason we cannot abolish all the criers.