Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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645. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality her plans to establish a new planning and environmental law court managed by specialist judges; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35323/20]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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Under the provisions of the Courts Service Act 1998, management of the courts, including the provision of accommodation for court sittings, is the responsibility of the Courts Service, which is independent in exercising its functions.

However, in order to be of assistance to the Deputy, I have had enquiries made and the Courts Service has provided the following update on this matter.

The current COVID-19 pandemic requires that the efforts of the Courts Service are aimed at supporting existing services and court sittings. However, the Service is currently preparing its Strategic Plan for 2021-2023 and I am informed that specific provision for consultation on the establishment of the new planning and environmental law court will be included in its objectives for 2021. The question of judges with specialism in planning and environmental law will also be considered in this regard.

In the meantime, a number of judges were appointed to the High Court in recent years who were recognised as planning specialists as practitioners and who can sit on such matters. In addition, the President of the High Court published a practice direction on 11 September 2020, specifically aimed at improving the efficiency of the Commercial Planning and Strategic Infrastructure Development List which encompasses the following categories of cases:

- Judicial reviews relating to strategic infrastructure development or strategic housing development; and

- Planning cases admitted to the Commercial List.

The issue of the specialisms required of the judiciary more generally is being addressed in the Programme for Government commitment to establish a working group on numbers and skills, for which planning is underway. The Judicial Council, established at the end of last year, also has a role in terms of the training of the judiciary generally.