Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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174. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the extent to which it might be envisaged to augment/upgrade or modernise the court system given the changing requirements on the administration of justice; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44455/23]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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My Department is committed to driving the modernisation and Digital First agenda across the entire Justice Sector.

This is reflected in Budget 2024, as €183.5 million was allocated for the Courts vote, including capital funding of €67 million. This builds on significant investment in recent years, with a total allocation of €176.5 million in 2023, and €163,966,000 in 2022.

The Courts Service Modernisation Programme is the 10-year programme which will deliver a new operating model for the Courts Service – designed around the user, with simplified and standardised services and accessible data to inform decisions – all delivered through digital solutions.

I particularly welcome the commitment set out by the Courts Service in its Corporate Strategic Plan 2021 – 2023, to maximise the use of digital technologies to provide an improved and user-centred service. The recently launched 360 virtual tours of our Court buildings, along with the newly developed, plain English family law information on the courts.ie website are really positive and exciting examples of this.

Towards the end of 2020, the Courts Service committed an investment in excess of €2.2 million to expand the number of courtrooms that are technology enabled. These courtrooms support remote and hybrid hearings and allow parties, witnesses, prisoners or An Garda Síochána to dial in remotely to a physical courtroom and support digital evidence display.

The project brought the number of up-to-date technology courtrooms from 55 in 2020 to 136 today. All 136 video enabled Courtrooms are equipped with full digital evidence presentation suites which include full video link facilities. Investment is committed to continuing the expansion of technology enabled courts into 2024. These examples are among a number of initiatives and investments that have been implemented as part of the courts modernisation programme.

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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175. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the extent to which any allocated funds are adequate for the Courts Service; whether any reform is required to deal with the greater volume of work, her proposals in this regard; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44456/23]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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Management of the courts, operational matters and logistical functions are 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.

The Courts Service operates under its own vote. It has its own Accounting Officer and lays its reports and accounts directly before the Oireachtas.

The Courts Service has a dedicated email address for the provision of information to members of the Houses of the Oireachtas: oireachtasenquiries@courts.ie.

Information of this nature is held by the Courts Service. Therefore, I have referred your question to the Courts Service for its direct reply.

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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176. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the extent to which her Department funds or supports, in any way, the courts system with particular reference to pay and conditions; the extent to which issues have arisen in this regard in recent times; her proposals to address such issues by way of legislation or otherwise; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44457/23]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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I understand the Deputy has clarified that he is referring to barrister's pay in his question.

I fully recognise the important role played by barristers and solicitors in the administration of criminal justice – both in the context of working to defend those accused and working with the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions in respect of prosecutions.

I can assure the Deputy that the issue of criminal legal aid fees has been a priority for my Department, and I am pleased to have secured funding of €9m to make progress in increasing the fees payable to legal professionals for criminal legal aid by 10% in early 2024. In conjunction with the increase in fees, the intention is to build on the strengths of the criminal legal aid scheme while addressing any issues relating to how it is structured.

Civil legal aid and advice for qualifying individuals is granted through the Civil Legal Aid Scheme, which the Legal Aid Board administers. The matter of resource allocation is an operational matter entirely for the Legal Aid Board which is the statutory, independent body responsible for the provision of civil legal aid and advice to persons of modest means, in accordance with the provisions of the Civil Legal Aid Act 1995.