Portlaoise law centre opening
Hyland asks about delays in family-law cases and the timing and staffing of the Portlaoise office. Noonan says expansion should reduce waits and gives 1986 as the expected opening year.
Does the Minister agree that delay in dealing with family law cases can militate against the settlement of such cases? He admits that there have been some delays up to now. In relation to the proposed expansion of the scheme, can the Minister assure the House that there will be no unnecessary delay in dealing with family law cases? I welcome the decision to locate an office in Portlaoise. Can the Minister give us any time scale for the establishment of that office? What will the staffing level be in that office?
Comment on this
(Limerick East): On the question of delays, in family law cases if an appointment is made too quickly it might militate against the settlement of a case. Sometimes problems go away if people have to wait a fortnight for an appointment. That is another aspect of it. I do not mean to be facetious.
The expansion suggested will certainly cut down the waiting period to what one would expect if one were making an appointment privately with a solicitor. Obviously none of us can waltz into a solicitor's office and see him on the spot. We would make an appointment. That is the kind of situation I envisage. As regards Portlaoise, that will be the second phase of the expansion — Dundalk, Portlaoise, Castlebar and Letterkenny. It is envisaged that there will be one solicitor and one clerical assistant in the centre initially.