Clare Daly (Dublin North, Socialist Party)
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Question 460: To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality if judges are entitled to a daily unvouched lunch allowance; and if so, the monetary value of same and if this arrangement applies to all judges. [16518/12]

Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein)
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Question 462: To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality if he will provide in tabular form details of all premium payments, allowances and expenses paid to the Judiciary. [16655/12]

Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein)
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Question 463: To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality if he will provide in tabular form details of all premium payments, allowances and expenses paid to each of the Judiciary in 2011. [16656/12]

Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 460, 462 and 463 together.

Expenses are payable to judges for travel and subsistence necessarily incurred for attendance away from home. Subsistence expenses are provided to cover the cost of meals in some cases. No premium payments, by which I take it the Deputy is referring to overtime, are paid. The cost of expenses is determined by the number and location of court sittings and the travelling expenses payable to judges cover the use of their own private car. It should be noted that a review of judicial expenses and allowances is currently underway in my Department and is due to be completed by July of this year. The different rates applying to judicial expenses are complex and detailed, having developed over decades. However, the following rates are generally currently applicable:

Table 1 - Mileage rates for Circuit and District Court

Unassigned District Judges may claim mileage from their home to Court venue and back while on official business.

District Judges assigned to Districts outside of Dublin may claim mileage for journeys made from home to Court venue and back to home, while on official business, subject to a maximum of 40 km (25 miles) to cover that part of the journey between their home and the border of their District.

District Judges assigned to the Dublin District are paid an allowance of €3,100 per annum to cover all travel to and from work including out of hours courts.

Circuit Court Judges may claim mileage from their home to Court venue and back while on official business.

Table 2 - Subsistence Rates for Circuit and District Court

Table 3 - Court Attire Expenses (vouched)

The allowances and expenses paid to members of the judiciary from the Courts Service Vote in 2011 are set out in the following tables:

Table 4 - Supreme Court Judges Expenses, 2011

Table 5 - High Court Judges Expenses, 2011

*The number of Judges above includes Judges who retired during 2011 and Judges who were appointed during 2011.

Table 6 - Circuit Court Judges Expenses, 2011

*The number of Judges above includes Judges who retired during 2011 and Judges who were appointed during 2011.

Table 7 - District Court Judges Expenses, 2011

*The number of Judges above includes Judges who retired during 2011 and Judges who were appointed during 2011.

In addition to the above expenses, under the provisions of section 164 of the Finance Act 1994, an annual expense allowance is paid to members of the judiciary. This is not paid by the Courts Service but is paid monthly from Central Funds as part of salary. The levels are currently as follows:

Table 8 - Current Annual Allowance