Courts Service

430. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the additional funding sought by the Courts Service under the most recent Estimates process; the amount ultimately allocated; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54673/26]

563. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration whether his Department has conducted an assessment of the cost of establishing an integrated information-sharing system between An Garda Síochána and the Courts Service to ensure that courts have access to accurate and up-to-date information when making bail decisions; if he will provide details of the estimated cap…

564. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration whether funding has been allocated, or is proposed to be allocated, for the development of a digital information-sharing system between An Garda Síochána and the Courts Service; the amount of funding identified for this purpose; the anticipated timeline for implementation; and if he will make a statement on the matt…

565. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration whether his Department has examined the feasibility of introducing an information-sharing system between An Garda Síochána and the Courts Service to support bail decision-making; whether comparable systems operating in other jurisdictions have been considered; if he will provide details of the estimated costs associ…

566. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration whether his Department has collected or analysed data on the reasons for adjournments in District Court criminal legal aid cases, including adjournments arising from disclosure, DPP directions, forensic reports, probation reports, psychiatric assessments, interpreter availability, court-list pressures or othe…

567. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration in relation to the new District Court criminal legal aid fee model, which replaces the previous payment of approximately €240 for a first appearance and €60 for each subsequent appearance with a flat fee of €520 per defendant, the assessment that has been carried out of the impact of this change on complex or…

568. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the way in which the new District Court criminal legal aid fee model is expected to address the rise in District Court criminal legal aid expenditure from approximately €19 million in 2015 to €37 million in 2024; the projected savings that are expected from the new model; whether these projections have been s…

569. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration whether his Department has analysed the extent to which repeated appearances in District Court criminal legal aid cases arises from defence-side conduct as opposed to prosecution-side or system factors, including disclosure, DPP directions, forensic reports, probation reports, psychiatric assessments, interpr…

570. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the rationale underpinning the proposed introduction of a flat-fee model for payments under the criminal legal aid scheme in the District Court; the evidence base used to support the proposal; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51249/26]

571. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration if he will provide a detailed assessment of how the proposed flat-fee model for criminal legal aid will ensure that access to justice is not undermined for defendants with complex or vulnerable circumstances; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51250/26]

572. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the projected impact of the proposed flat-fee model on the availability of experienced criminal law practitioners willing to undertake legal aid work; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51251/26]

573. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the estimated savings expected to arise from the proposed changes to the criminal legal aid scheme; the methodology used to calculate these savings; whether any assessment has been carried out on potential cost increases elsewhere in the criminal justice system as a result of the proposal; and if he will make a stat…

683. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration if his attention has been drawn to the significant number of High Court cases which are awaiting judgments for periods in excess of two years; if he receives updates on such matters from the Courts Service; and to outline the contents of any such recent reports. [45529/26]

284. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration his plans to reform the court system application process and stop it being used as a tool of abuse (details supplied) [38446/26]

1309. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Health the supports available for individuals requiring court-related psychological reports or complex case management in Mayo and Galway; whether alternative providers have been identified to replace the role of a service (details supplied) in such cases; and if she will outline any gaps in service provision identified following the redundancies. […

793. Deputy Michael Murphy asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration if he will review the operation of the court fees regime under S.I. No. 492 of 2014 to ensure that fees do not act as a barrier to individuals seeking to vindicate their constitutional rights in the Superior Courts; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34247/26]

635. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the rationale for deferring the restoration of the final 8% of District Court criminal legal aid fees until 1 July 2026; whether he will consider bringing forward this restoration in light of concerns raised by the Bar of Ireland regarding the impact on access to justice; and if he will make a statement on th…

636. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration whether his Department has assessed the impact that the deferral of District Court fee restoration is having on the availability of experienced barristers willing to take on criminal legal aid work; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32501/26]

637. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the timeline for the substantive review of District Court fees announced by his Department; the terms of reference for that review; the stakeholders being consulted; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32502/26]

638. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration whether his Department has reviewed the operation of the flat-fee model for District Court criminal legal aid; whether he is aware of concerns raised by the Bar of Ireland that the model penalises defence lawyers for procedural delay and adjournments necessitated by essential procedural steps; and if he will …

639. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration whether his Department has data on the number of experienced practitioners who have ceased taking on District Court criminal legal aid work over the past three years; the steps being taken to prevent an exodus of senior practitioners from this area of practice; and if he will make a statement on the matter. […

640. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the substantive or administrative overlap between solicitors' fees and barristers' fees in District Court legal aid matters; whether his Department intends to review this overlap as part of the broader fee review; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32505/26]

644. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the current status of pre-legislative scrutiny of the Civil Reform Bill 2025 by the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice; the expected publication date of the draft Bill; the timeline for its progression through the Oireachtas; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32509/26]

645. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration further to the announcement that the proposal to initiate certain judicial review applications in the Circuit Court is being dropped; the specific reforms now proposed within the High Court process to deliver the efficiencies originally sought; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32510/26]

646. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration his response to concerns raised by the Bar of Ireland and human rights organisations during pre-legislative scrutiny that the proposed public-interest test in judicial review proceedings under the Civil Reform Bill 2025 may place unnecessary barriers in the path of citizens seeking remedy in court; and if he …