Brendan Griffin (Kerry South, Fine Gael)
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Question 352: To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality his views that savings could be made in an area (details supplied). [2147/12]

Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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1The Deputy will appreciate that a considerable amount of Garda time has to be devoted to court duties. In that context specific measures have been put in place by the Garda authorities, and in legislation, to minimise the extent to which Garda members have to attend in court. Following a detailed review of the procedures involved, the Garda Commissioner is making arrangements to implement a comprehensive set of measures to further reduce the amount of time Garda personnel spend in court. These measures are, of course, subject to the overall requirements of justice and judicial supervision.

My position, and that of the Government, is that it is vital that Garda and other public service resources are utilised as effectively as possible. With this in mind, and with the agreement of the Chief Justice, I have established a Working Group, which includes judges from the relevant jurisdictions, to look at the operations of the Circuit and District Courts with a view to identifying additional efficiencies to benefit the justice sector and how best these could be implemented in the light of current financial circumstances.