Pat Casey (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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1273. To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the status of legislation on a general scheme of copyright approved by the Government (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13230/17]

Mary Mitchell O'Connor (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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I have obtained Government approval for a General Scheme of a Bill entitled Copyright and Related Rights (Amendment) (Miscellaneous Intellectual Property) Bill. The Bill is currently being drafted by the Office of the Parliamentary Counsel.

Detailed information on the contents of this Bill has not yet been made public, while the progress of drafting is underway. However, one of the primary intentions of the Bill is to make certain improvements in the area of access to justice for intellectual property claims. In particular, the Bill will facilitate lower value intellectual property infringement cases to be brought before the Circuit and District courts. I intend to publish the Bill as soon as possible, once the initial drafting work is complete.

The Bill does not deal with the issue of self-representation before the Courts. The Deputy will appreciate that, in general, the issue of the jurisdiction of the courts is not an aspect that comes within my Department’s direct responsibility. The question of whether companies should be permitted to represent themselves in Court comes within the policy remit of the Department of Justice and Equality. The Department of Justice and Equality also deals with matters related to legal costs in the courts.