I move: That the Bill be referred to the Select Committee on Justice pursuant to Standing Orders 95(3)( a ) and 181(1).

As I am sure the Deputy will be aware, criminal legal aid and civil legal aid are separate services. Criminal legal aid is granted by the courts to eligible persons being prosecuted for criminal offences to ensure that their constitutional right to a fair trial is vindicated. Civil matters concern non-criminal disputes between individuals or organisations. Civil legal aid and advice for qualifying individuals is granted through the civil legal aid scheme, which is administered by the Legal Aid Board. In its more th…

The Minister, Deputy Harris, expects that review later this year, having met with former Chief Justice, Mr. Justice Frank Clarke, only yesterday. The review is comprehensive and once it is published, we will have a better understanding of the recommendations therein. I would not like to anticipate those recommendations at this point in time. However, I will say the review is comprehensive. With regard to criminal law and barristers in particular, my Department pays fees to barristers in the Circuit Court and High C…

I agree with the Deputy that access to justice is absolutely critical to any fair society to provide support for those who are of limited means to facilitate them to have access to justice. Access to justice also means that solicitors and barristers are available to provide that service supported by the State. The review will look at the entire area of legal aid and how it is being provided. The pay for barristers is being looked at by the Department of Justice in conjunction with the Department of Public Expenditu…

I thank the Deputy for raising this important question. The Irish Prison Service recognises the importance of promoting and protecting the human rights and fundamental freedoms of people with disabilities committed to its care. I am strongly of the view that we need to continue to invest in our prison estate, to ensure that it is modern and fit for purpose and that it has the capacity to accommodate all of those committed to prison by the courts. I can assure the Deputy that all work undertaken on the prison estate…

I do not have a timeline for that consideration but know the director general of the Irish Prison Service, Caron McCaffrey, is quite a progressive director and will be taking this matter quite seriously. I agree with the Deputy. We have to ensure people with disabilities receive the services and supports they need in prison and get timely access to those types of supports. It is certainly something we in the Department of Justice will be paying close attention to. I have no doubt that now that Covid has passed and …

Absolutely. There has been a history in our prison service of people with intellectual disabilities or other challenges not only not getting the supports they need but perhaps not even being diagnosed. I have visited most of the prisons in the country at this point. One of the most common undiagnosed issues is dyslexia, which results in people leaving school early and getting involved in crime, sending themselves on a pathway that might not otherwise have happened had they gotten that diagnosis as to why they were …

I thank the Deputy for raising this very important issue around the need to provide refuge centres in Cavan and Monaghan for victims of domestic abuse. As the Deputy rightly pointed out, it is one of the areas that does not have those supports in place at the moment. The Deputy has raised this matter consistently with both myself and the Department of Justice and I am glad to have an opportunity to give him an update on what he has been campaigning for for a very long time. Last June, the Government launched Zero T…

I assure the Deputy that delivering refuge spaces in Cavan-Monaghan is a priority for the Department. We are in the process of identifying that location, working with the various different bodies to see where that location can be provided. We have to provide these spaces for very vulnerable people and we have a comprehensive programme around DSGBV in our third national strategy. Tearmann Domestic Violence Services Monaghan is a community-based support service delivering a range of supports to women affected by dome…

I again thank the Deputy for raising a very important matter about the need for refuge spaces and DSGBV service in the Cavan-Monaghan area. I assure the Deputy that the key statutory bodies - Tusla, the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, the Department of Justice, the county councils in Cavan and Monaghan, An Garda Síochána, Tearmann and Safe Ireland - are working very closely together to identify that location so that these services can be provided as quickly as possible. They are capital projec…

The Irish Prison Service is committed to providing safe, secure and respectful care for all of those committed to custody. I accept that for those with a disability, the prison environment can provide significant challenges, but I can assure the Deputy that any prisoner who, following assessment, requires supports with activities of daily living is accommodated in a suitable setting. This applies to the physical infrastructure and to the support of healthcare assistants who provide a full range of personal care ser…

The provision of education and training is key to reducing recidivism. The Prison Service provides supports and services, from basic literacy and numeracy education right up to third-level qualifications. The provision of education in prisons is delivered in partnership with the ETBs. I assure Deputy Tully that at all times prison education seeks to deliver relevant programmes that ensure broad access and high participation. The education staff in prisons are particularly vigilant in identifying individual educatio…

I agree that prison officers need to be trained to support people with disabilities, mental health difficulties and those with a history of trauma, and that is happening. All recruit prison officers are provided with extensive training to equip them to work supportively with and manage vulnerable people. Irish Prison Service psychologists contribute to the training on mental health awareness and the link between trauma and offending in neurodiversity. In addition, work is progressing in some prisons on more autism-…

I thank the Deputy for asking this important question. Youth diversion has been in place for young people under 18 for many years. At present, a young person under 18 who commits an offence can be given access to the Garda diversion programme, including supervision by a Garda juvenile liaison officer. A diversion system can provide a second chance and enable people to avoid prosecution and a criminal record. Research tells us that young adults, not unlike adolescents, can be particularly vulnerable to peer pressure…

On Deputy Lawless's question, we are very much aware of that situation. Amending legislation will be brought forward this year to address it. In response to Deputy Ward's question, some of the common themes that emerged from the submissions included consideration of a strategy developed specifically for young adults aged 18 to 24 who offend, grounded in evidence as to what works to promote and support desistance from offending behaviour among that age group; incorporating restorative justice and its collaborative a…

I again thank the Deputy for raising the question. We have significantly increased the funding for youth diversion projects. Also, I have met with the Minister, Deputy O'Gorman, and my Civil Service staff are engaging with other Departments. I agree with the Deputy that youth diversion projects are hugely important, but we also need all our various services, whether underage addiction services or early school leaver programmes, such that all the various organisations helping young people for that second chance are …

As the Deputy may be aware, the Probate Office is an office of the High Court. Under the provisions of the Courts Service Act 1998, management of the courts is the responsibility of the Courts Service, which is independent in its functions. Probate functions are also carried out by county registrars at district probate registries in 14 provincial offices. Those officeholders are also independent in carrying out their functions. I assure the Deputy that every effort is made by the Courts Service to ensure that proba…

I certainly hear the Deputy. This is a matter we are familiar with. We want to speed up the probate process. I can confirm that a competition has been run through the Public Appointments Service to fill the country registrar vacancy in Mayo–Roscommon. That post has now been filled, with a decision having been taken by the Government on 23 May. I can further advise that where vacancies arise, arrangements are in place to ensure the operation of the district probate registry will continue to meet the needs of the pub…

I move: That Dáil Éireann resolves that the period of operation of sections 1 to 7 and 9 of the Civil Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2021 (No. 14 of 2021) be extended for a further period of six months, beginning on the 1st day of June, 2023 and ending on the 30th day of November, 2023. I am here to introduce a resolution on behalf of the Minister for Justice, Deputy Harris, to extend the sunset clause in the Civil Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2021. The extension of this Act will allow the hospitality sec…

I thank the Deputies for their time and contributions. I hope the extension of the Act until 30 November 2023 sends Members the message of our determination to continue to support and provide clarity to businesses, An Garda Síochána and communities. Deputy Pa Daly raised the issue about the number of gardaí. We have approximately 380 in training at the moment at various stages. We will certainly continue with that recruitment, with more gardaí going into training across the year. We still very much aim to get to 1,…