Ciara Conway (Waterford, Labour)
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85. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality if her attention has been drawn to the difficulties that have been caused nationwide and that are anticipated in coming weeks due to a delay in appointing nine Circuit Court judges to fill vacancies that have arisen recently; if she will commit to making these appointments as a matter of urgency; the timeframe regarding same; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45513/14]

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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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. There are currently seven vacancies on the Circuit Court arising from a retirement on 30 September 2014; the elevation of one judge to the Court of Appeal on 29 October 2014 and the elevation of five judges to the High Court on 30 October 2014. The Government is, of course, cognisant of the need to ensure that the establishment of the Court of Appeal does not adversely affect the business of the other court jurisdictions.

As the Deputy will note, the vacancies in the Circuit Court have only arisen in the past few weeks and at its meeting on 19 November 2014, the Government formally made a decision to advise the President of Ireland to appoint seven persons, including a serving Judge of the District Court, to the Circuit Court. Arrangements are being made for the signature of the necessary appointment warrants and the swearing in of the judges to the Circuit Court.