Written Answers. - Parliamentary Debates - Houses of the Oireachtas

[Deputy Alan Shatter.]
Questions— 14 February 2012. Written Answers
ment targets, set in the context of the agreement with the EU and the IMF, to reduce the
numbers of public servants.
Of course, what will ultimately determine the sustainable level of Garda numbers, and therefore
establish when recruitment will recommence, is the level of budgetary provision that can
be made for the Force, and the House will be conscious that difficult decisions will continue to
have to be made, right across the public sector, in order to bring our public finances back
into balance.
536. Deputy Seán Kyne asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if potential Garda recruits
who completed a medical examination and were on the list awaiting to be called-up prior to
the temporary cessation of recruitment are still regarded as being on the list or if they will have
to undergo new medical examinations pending the possible resumption of recruitment in the
foreseeable future. [8412/12]
Minister for Justice and Equality (Deputy Alan Shatter): I am informed by the Garda Authorities
that there is a Garda recruitment panel currently in place consisting of applicants selected
by the Public Appointments Service as part of a 2008 recruitment campaign. However, no
offers of employment have been made to applicants since the introduction of the public service
moratorium on recruitment in 2009.
The moratorium on recruitment remains in place in furtherance of the objective, set in the
context of the agreement with the EU and the IMF, to reduce the numbers of public servants.
While successful applicants on this panel currently remain eligible to be offered positions as
trainee Gardaí, the lifetime of the panel, and the position of applicants on it, will be kept under
review in the light of when Garda recruitment might recommence.
Court Procedures
537. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if his attention
has been drawn to the long waiting times for family law cases to be heard in Donegal Circuit
Court causing distress for vulnerable families; the actions he will take to address this and the
county registers’ ongoing delays in performing their functions. [8424/12]
Minister for Justice and Equality (Deputy Alan Shatter): The management and administration
of the courts, as the Deputy will be aware, is a matter for the Courts Service. The
allocation of the business of the courts, scheduling of court cases and the management of court
lists are matters for the judiciary and in particular the Presidents of the courts. The Deputy
will also be aware that judges are, subject to the Constitution and the law, independent in the
exercise of their judicial functions.
However, in order to be of assistance to the Deputy, I have had enquiries made and the
Courts Service has informed me that the waiting times for family law cases in Co. Donegal are
as follows: Contested hearings: 9-12 months. Consent hearing: Next available court date.
Appeals: 9-12 months
The Court Service has informed me that in 2011 three weeks of family law sittings were held
in Letterkenny and one week was held in Donegal. It is intended to allocate similar amounts
of time to family law in 2012, however, the situation is being kept under review by the President
of the Circuit Court.
Case progression hearings in family law cases are dealt with by the County Registrar. These
hearings help ensure that when a case is listed for hearing before the court it is ready to
proceed, they also help to minimise the costs of the proceedings for the individuals and maxi-
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