Niall Collins (Limerick, Fianna Fail)
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525. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of times that the new judicial forum working group has met since March 2013; if he has consulted the group on plans for changes to the court structure; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36238/13]

Niall Collins (Limerick, Fianna Fail)
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529. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of times that the new judicial forum working group has met since March 2013; if he has consulted the group on plans for changes to the court structure; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36242/13]

Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 525 and 529 together.

The Government has facilitated a new arrangement in the form of a Working Group chaired by the Chief Justice and comprising the Presidents of the Courts and other representative judges. The Attorney General, who has traditionally acted as the formal link with the Judiciary, also attends the Group accompanied by the Secretary General to the Government. There have been three meetings of the Group to date and it is intended that the Group will meet on an ongoing basis. Since my appointment, I have met regularly with the Chief Justice in her capacity as Chair of the Courts Service Board on a range of issues and from time to time with the Presidents of the various jurisdictions and other members of the Judiciary. For example, the Attorney General and I met with the Chief Justice and the President of the Circuit Court to discuss the role of the new specialist judges of the Circuit Court and I have also met the President of the High Court and his colleagues in relation to a range of issues including the proposed establishment of a Court of Appeal.