Brian Hayes (Dublin South West, Fine Gael)

Without wanting to labour the point, I have a note here on the relevant section of the 1936 Act, which states: "There shall be attached to every judge travelling and sitting as a judge of the High Court on Circuit and to every Commissioner of the High Court on Circuit one servant to perform such duties..." The language is historic and out of date. I will ask the Department of Justice and Equality to furnish the Senator with a note giving him the up-to-date briefing on this issue. He has rightly touched on an important matter. When the legislation was first passed in the 1930s, the moneys for the purpose of providing servants to judges came from the Oireachtas. There may well have been security issues at the time.

To answer the Senator's question on drivers, I am not sure that applies to District and Circuit Court judges, although I may be wrong. However, it certainly does apply to judges in the higher courts.