Courts / Ireland / Report

'Emergency measures' sanctioned by Dept to address delays in criminal trials

Summary

The Department of Public Expenditure and Reform has sanctioned 'emergency measures' to pay psychiatrists more for the preparation of reports on defendants in criminal cases, following severe delays in the progression of trials through the judicial system, the Central Criminal Court has heard. A representative from the Criminal Legal Aid Unit of the Department of Justice agreed that his department would pay the same rates to defence psychiatrists as those offered to prosecution experts until June. The court heard that the Dept of Justice has now set up a task force to address the issue. Mr Justice Paul McDermott, the judge overseeing the trial list at the Central Criminal Court, said the importance of the issue could not be underestimated, 'particularly for victims of violent crime'. He had previously said it is 'completely unacceptable' that the State wasn't in a position to facilitate the trial process in securing psychiatric assessments.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: 'Emergency measures' sanctioned by Dept to address delays in criminal trials. Procedural stage: charge_or_pretrial

When:

• January 14 Hearing Or Sentence
• June 2026 Other
• 2026-01-28 Publication

Why: In order to alleviate the issues, the lawyer said the Director had received sanction from the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform (DPER) for the prosecution to pay up to €300 per hour for the preparation of psychiatric reports. Prosecution account reported by CNI

Places mentioned

Topics

Stage Charge Or Pretrial Violent Crime

Read the original CNI report