Niamh Smyth (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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522. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the steps the Courts Service intends to take to reduce the delays in the Probate Office and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11435/23]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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As the deputy is aware as Minister for Justice, I have no role in the exercise of Probate functions.

The Probate Office is an office of the High Court, and management of the courts is the responsibility of the judiciary and Courts Service, which are independent in exercising their functions under the Courts Service Act 1998 and given the separation of powers in the Constitution. Probate functions are also carried out by County Registrars at District Probate Registries in 14 provincial court offices. The Courts Service has a dedicated email address for the provision of information to members of the Houses of the Oireachtas at: oireachtasenquiries@courts.ie

However, I would like to draw the Deputy’s attention to the fact that the Courts Service have embarked on a 10-year programme of modernisation of the Courts system. A proposal to roll out an eProbate project has been identified as part of the civil law modernisation workstream.

I have secured an additional funding allocation for the Courts Service to facilitate the commencement of an eProbate project this year. The introduction of this improved system should lead to a faster and more efficient process.