asked the Minister for Justice if there is an urgent need to extend the jurisdiction of the Central Criminal Court to include serious cases of crime such as rape, manslaughter, drug pushing and kidnapping; if he will introduce legislation to give the Director of Public Prosecutions the power to transfer cases of this kind if he feels it is necessary; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

For reasons which I explained in reply to a question by the Deputy on 13 May last — Official Report, volume 372, columns 1747 and 1748 — I cannot undetake to indicate, by way of reply to parliamentary questions, what specific legislative proposals I might have in a particular area.

As legislation involves considerable preparatory work and Government approval, it is not practical to deal with the issues involved between the time a question is put down and the time it is answered in the House. The matter raised in the Deputy's question will, of course, be considered as soon as possible.

Would the Minister agree with the first part of the question, that there is a need to extend the jurisdiction of the Central Criminal Court to deal with the type of serious cases I referred to in my question? Would he agree that the Circuit Court is not an appropriate court to deal with serious crimes of that nature, that the higher echelons of the Judiciary should be involved in such serious cases?

The present position is that following the coming into operation of the Courts Act, 1981——

Is the Minister in favour of giving a higher priority to these cases?

I am considering this matter. When I have considered it I will make recommendations to the Government and if the Government make a decision it will be announced in due course.

Accepting that the High Court is involved in a number of civil cases, running down cases and so on, and that the Circuit Court is overburdened and overcrowded because of inadequate facilities, would the Minister agree that cases such as rape, manslaughter and drug pushing should be reviewed urgently and that legislation should be brought in?

The matter is being considered.

In the light of the recent debate and concern about rape are we to understand we will have to wait recommendations from the Law Reform Commission before amendments will be made, or will the Minister introduce such amendments before the end of July?

There is a question on the Order Paper for today which deals specifically with that subject. If the Deputy will bear with me, I will answer that when we get to it. If it is not reached the reply will be circulated.