Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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508. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality the extent to which backlogs in the court system are likely to be overtaken in the short and medium term; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27406/14]

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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As the Deputy will be aware, the Courts Service is responsible for the management and administration of the Courts. The scheduling of court cases and the allocation of court business is a matter for the Presidents of the courts and the presiding judge who are under the Constitution independent in the exercise of their judicial functions. The Presidents monitor waiting times across all courts lists and seek to ensure the optimum use of court time. However, in order to be of assistance to the Deputy, I have had enquiries made and the Courts Service has informed me that the primary objective for the Service is to maintain the delivery of front line court sittings and services. The Courts Service continuously works to support the judiciary and assist in ensuring that cases are dealt with as effectively and as speedily as possible. Available resources and operational and organisational structures are under ongoing review to ensure that resources are targeted and focused on keeping waiting times in the provision of services to a minimum. I am informed that waiting times in the Circuit and District Courts vary from venue to venue based on the number and complexity of cases.

As previously mentioned in response to Question No. 136 of 5 February 2014, a significant number of extra sittings were scheduled during 2013. The additional weeks were provided across crime, family law and civil matters. The Courts Service has indicated that the additional sittings have ensured that waiting times in the Circuit Court have been reduced. In addition, six specialist judges of the Circuit Court were appointed in July 2013 to deal with the new work arising as a result of the Personal Insolvency Act 2012. I am informed that High Court waiting times are being maintained and in some cases are being further reduced. The President of the High Court keeps waiting times under continuous review and has introduced a number of initiatives including the reorganisation of sittings of the High Court outside Dublin and arranging for additional court sittings during court recesses. The delegation to court officials of administrative functions previously dealt with by High Court judges has also yielded significant savings in judicial time resulting in increased judicial availability for trial work. More than 10,000 matters were dealt with in this way in 2013. These case management initiatives continue to be reviewed and expanded.

In respect of the Court of Criminal Appeal, the Chief Justice, in consultation with the President of the High Court, convened nine additional sittings during September and the first week of October 2013 to deal with sentence appeals/undue leniency applications. Following the appointment of two additional Supreme Court Judges in October 2013, the Supreme Court has been enabled to sit in two panels on a continuing basis and I am informed that the rate of disposals of appeals has increased significantly, with one panel assigned to the disposal of backlog appeals. The comparative figures for the first quarter of this year and 2013 show an increase in excess of 60% in the rate of disposals.While some immediate improvement has been achieved,the backlog that has accumulated in the Supreme Court over the past number of years is such that it will take a longer period to reduce the waiting time for the hearing of appeals to a more appropriate level. The issue of capacity in the Supreme Court can only be fully resolved through the introduction of the Court of Appeal, which is due to be established later this year.