Billy Kelleher (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail)
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487. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality if she will promote collaborative practice to resolve disputes and free up court time; the measures she is taking; the timetable involved; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [46870/15]

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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The position is that the Mediation Bill, which is currently being drafted in the Office of the Parliamentary Counsel, will introduce an obligation on solicitors and barristers to advise any person intending to commence legal proceedings to give consideration to using mediation as an alternative means of resolving disputes. It is intended that this will help to reduce recourse to the courts, as well as the costs and delays which may arise during court proceedings. The Bill will also provide that a court may, following the commencement of any such proceedings, on its own initiative or at the request of a party to the proceedings, invite the parties to consider mediation as an alternative option and suspend the proceedings to facilitate that process.

I very much regret that it has not been possible to publish this Bill to date. This has been due to the extensive programme of progressive law reform undertaken by my Department in accordance with the ambitious targets set out in the Programme for Government.