Irish Examiner view: Reform does not mean more judges

Domestic abuse victims find that the official response partly depends on where in Ireland they live

Calls for sweeping reform of the judicial system also resurface on a regular basis, but such an undertaking is so fraught with political danger that successive governments have been reluctant to grasp the nettle. Picture: iStock

Victims of domestic abuse must contend with a wide variety in waiting times when it comes to the courts hearing their safety applications, we learned yesterday.

The timeframes involved range from 14 weeks in Tullamore and 12 weeks in Carlow, Cavan, and Nenagh, down to four weeks in urban areas as large as Waterford and Limerick; the situation has seen the term ‘postcode lottery’ being aired again, and with good reason.