Colette Kelleher (Independent) | Oireachtas source

The amendments, as the Minister of State said, deal with the cases where orders should be served personally by members of the Garda. There are cases where a person might try to evade the service of an order and create a delay. There is a role for a member of the Garda to personally serve the order. In this group, I will be supporting amendment No. 39. This amendment clearly states the circumstances in which a judge may order that if a respondent is likely to evade receiving service of a domestic violence order, the order may be served by a member of the Garda. It is for cases where a person may seek to evade it, that is, exceptional circumstances, and it gives the judge the scope to allow that.