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THE COURTS SYSTEM “cannot cope” with the amount of home repossessions it has to deal with, a Senator has claimed.
Thomas Byrne criticised the fact that 84 repossession cases were listed to be heard by a county registrar in Meath on Monday.
Speaking in the Seanad today, the Fianna Fáil Senator said his problem is “not out of disrespect for individual country registrars”, but because he thinks it is “completely wrong” the cases will not be presided over by a judge.
Junior minister Kevin Humphreys, who was speaking on behalf of Justice Minister Frances Fitzgerald, told Byrne that a total of “8164 Civil Bills for an order of possession were lodged in the Circuit Court” in 2014.
“As the Senator will appreciate, if all these cases were to be heard by a member of the judiciary it would have significant recourse implications for the courts,” Humphreys said.
The Labour TD noted that county registrars are “highly qualified” and “must have practised for at least eight years as a solicitor or a barrister”.
He said that when an affidavit setting out a defence has been filed, the county registrar transfers the civil bill to be heard by a judge “at the first opportunity”.
‘Angry’
Byrne said he was “angry” with this scenario, describing Humphreys response as “a stark acknowledgement of failure”.
“The idea that the excuse for county registrars handing out repossession orders and kicking people out of their homes is that there are too many cases and if we got judges involved, the system would not be able to cope.
That is effectively what the Minister of State has said – the system could not cope if we got judges to hear all these repossession cases. It is an extraordinary admission by the Government. It is making me angry and I am sure it is making people angry across the country.
He said the government “cannot handle” the number of repossession cases and so “is asking civil servants – registrars, who are not judges – to do this instead.”
“It is wrong,” he added.
Humphreys said he too was “very angry” – over “the financial mess we inherited in this country”.
“It is not nice to be reminded of how Fianna Fáil left this country. I know the Senator gets angry when reminded, but we have had to tidy up this mess. Any order made by a county registrar is subject to appeal to the Circuit Court. There are no plans to amend the current legislation,” he added.
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That’s 12 years away surely it shouldn’t take that long?
@Padraic Burke: for all plastic waste fair enough but coffee cups?
@Padraic Burke: Agree. Too little too late. Do it now please.
@Gillian Scully: we don’t have to wait til then. Ireland could lead the way here regarding the cups. We were the first with the plastic bags. Surely there is already an alternative to those cups available.
@Gillian Scully: however nobody has fully proven what is better for the environment. Multiuse cups are more difficult to produce and what about the water and detergent to wash them. I am not saying what they are doing is wrong….just that we don’t knoe
@Ronan Sexton: you’re dead right, Ronan. Australia still has plastic bags….and plastic reusable shopping bags are as big a problem. Ireland will lead the way because ireland is a testing ground for these changes. We were years ahead on the smoking ban too. This will take 12 years because politics is slow… a lack of speed and initiative is important when maintaining the status quo.
@Padraic Burke: agreed why not 2020?
@Padraic Burke:
We can do better and we can lead the way.
We voted for same sex marriage…and who would have thought that would happen.
We brought in a tax for plastic bags and we coped admirably with that.
Smoking ban in pubs and many other places.
We are an island along with lots of little islands with fantastic beaches and great fishing and amazing views.
I don’t want my island spoiled by plastic. Make a stand and stop using one non recyclable plastic item. Please?
2030? that is one plastic cup being kicked down the road.
Time line is far too long. An explanation for this is needed given the urgency.
I hope by 2030 they mean half past right.
@Ciarán McPhillips: Eight. Half past eight. :-)
@Ciarán McPhillips: ah don’t you hate it when a good line is ruined by spellchecker
12 year’s is too long, it should be by 2025 at the latest. There are plenty of “Environmentally Eco-Cups” available on the market now why make the end user pay tax for something the shops and manufacturers could change over if they were made do so.
Surly a plastic water bottles are alot more damaging !!!
@Gerard Heery: Not true as plastic bottles can be recycled, whereas disposable coffee cups cannot (believe it or not).
@Kyle O’Toole: sorry l was thinking about all the plastic bottles blowing around the country side.
More recycling needed to be sure but companies shouldn’t be allowed to sell products in this country where the packaging is not recyclable. At a stroke of a pen our Minister for the environment could change that, just as was done with the plastic bag tax which worked brilliantly.
Ireland No. 1! Ole Ole Ole Ole.
@alphanautica: COYBIG!
A,B,C
Always Bring a Cup
Convenience and laziness will end up destroying our wonderful plant. Plastic is useful but our lives are saturated with the stuff. There are alternatives and ways around the over-reliance of plastic. We need to take action before it’s too late. (BTW, 2030 is ludicrous)
Just coffee cups, by the sounds of it. Tea is okay
European wide plastic tax proposed oh oh.
EU was much quicker forming its EU army,once it got the UK away from the negotiating table,as the UK always blocked forming it.
By 2030 these politicians will be gone or dead. Indeed I’ll be near dead or dead. What use is this type of forward planning to me or people in their 60s 70s or 80s. Finger out please.
It may well be too late by then!!.
Need action now on plastic, it is destroying the planet
My recycling bin is full to the brim on every collection. If there was a way of buying products without all the crap they are presented in it would be fantastic. I think most companies would have an alternative in mind but as long as they aren’t banned they won’t make the move. Ban the lot and see how we get on
Why are we producing so much plastic anyway. ?
Why so long?
We are the first and only only species that guilts itself for using a few of the uncerde” resources during our previous few decades of life.
@Neal Ireland Hello. *the universe’s
2030 Ban on for single use coffee cups?
That is a complete waste of time and money. Either BAN then now or don’t Ban them at all.
We have technological advancements that can replace these single use cups tomorrow if push comes to shove. But nobody acts on it.
Wow can’t wait
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