I welcome the announcement last week from the Minister, Deputy O’Callaghan, that there will be an implementation plan for the Family Courts Act 2024, which represents a once-in-a-generation opportunity to fundamentally improve how we deliver family justice in this State.

The move towards dedicated family court divisions with specialist judges and more accessible structures is both necessary and overdue. It is essential, however, that the first phase of implementation is grounded in locations that can best demonstrate the model's effectiveness from the outset. In that context, I want to strongly advocate for Limerick being one of the initial phase 1 venues. Limerick is already one of the State's most significant judicial centres outside Dublin and Cork. Limerick hosts a substantial volume of High Court and Circuit Court sittings with more provincial High Court and Circuit Court sittings than any other location. Limerick has clearly demonstrated its capacity to support complex and high-level court business. This is further reinforced by the fact that the Central Criminal Court now sits in Limerick on a full-time basis alongside two sitting Circuit Criminal Courts. These developments reflect a clear recognition of Limerick's capability, infrastructure and strategic importance within the judicial system.

At District Court level, the case for Limerick is equally compelling. The city carries a significant family law caseload alongside a high volume of cases involving the child and family agency, Tusla. This demonstrates an established and ongoing demand for family justice services in the mid-west and highlights the importance of locating one of the initial family court divisions in the region where it will have an immediate and meaningful impact. Importantly, Limerick also benefits from having two court houses for criminal and family law at Merchant's Quay and Mulgrave Street. This is a critical, practical advantage. It allows for a more appropriate and sensitive environment for parties before the family courts, many of whom are dealing with deeply personal and often vulnerable circumstances, by avoiding the overlap with criminal proceedings that can arise in shared court settings. Such a separation is entirely consistent with the objectives of the Family Courts Act in creating a more humane and user-focused system. I have written to the Minister, Deputy O'Callaghan, about the delivery of this, but I also ask for the Leader's support in relation to it.