Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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Question 571: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if he will make additional resources available to the Courts Service for the Circuit Criminal Court to speed up the acquirement of hearing dates in an effort to reduce the numbers absconding while on bail. [25463/07]

Brian Lenihan Jnr (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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The Deputy will be aware that evidence in relation to the likelihood of an accused person absconding whilst on bail is one of the factors which may be taken into account by a court in refusing bail. Section 13 of the Criminal Justice Act 1984 (as amended) provides that if a person who has been released on bail in criminal proceedings fails to appears before a court in accordance with his recognisance, he shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding €5000 and/or imprisonment for a term not exceeding 12 months. The section also treats this offence as an offence committed on bail which must attract a consecutive sentence.

The Courts and Court Officers (Amendment) Act 2007 enacted earlier this year provided for 14 additional judges, of whom four are judges of the Circuit Court. These additional judges were appointed to deal with delays and generally speed up the judicial process. I understand that the President of the Circuit Court has given priority to the clearing of criminal cases and that six Circuit Court Judges are currently dealing with criminal matters on a full-time basis in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.

The Courts Service is responsible for the day to day management of the courts and I am responsible for ensuring that the Service has adequate provision. I am firmly committed to ensuring that the Courts Service has resources adequate to the demands placed on it and in this regard I am pleased to inform the Deputy that the recently announced pre-budget estimates include a 4.9% increase in current spending for the Courts Service.