Mark Wall (Kildare South, Labour)
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521. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality if consideration has been given to increasing the number of judges at District Court level; the current number of judges at District Court level; if he will outline the plans to increase the number; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9393/25]

Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail)
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As Minister for Justice, it is a priority for me, and for my Department, to ensure that the courts are resourced to administer justice efficiently and effectively.

In accordance with Articles 13.9 and 35.1 of the Constitution, judicial appointments are made by the President, acting on the advice of the Government. The assignment of judges is the responsibility of the respective presidents of the various Courts, which are, under the Constitution, independent in the exercise of their judicial functions. The number of judges for each court jurisdiction is set in legislation, and new legislation will need to be enacted to increase the number of judges in any court, including the District.

Following the publication, in February 2023, of the Report of the Judicial Planning Working Group, the Government committed to a historic increase of the number of judges to facilitate greater and more timely access to justice. The final Report recommended that 44 additional judges should be appointed, in two phases, to the Court of Appeal, High, Circuit and District Courts.

A first phase of 24 additional judges was approved and appointed by Government in 2023. These 24 additional judges included eight extra judges for the District Court and increased the total number of judges in that court from 64 to 72.

The Judicial Planning Working Group also recommended that a second tranche of 20 additional judges should be appointed following an assessment of the impact of the first phase. My Department conducted the impact assessment last summer and on 22 October 2024, Government agreed to increase by 20 the number of judges across the District Court, Circuit Court, High Court and Court of Appeal.

The report of the Judicial Planning Working Group has recommended that the second phase of extra judges should be split as follows: two Court of Appeal, six High Court, six Circuit Court and six District Court posts.

The Programme for Government commits appointing these 20 judges within 12 months as well as to plan for further increases to meet growing demands and timely access to justice.

This is in line with the findings of the Judicial Planning Working Group report, which also recommended that a formal judicial resource-planning model should be put in place in the medium-term to assess judicial resource requirements across all courts. Work is under way in my Department and the Courts Service to develop such a model.