In view of the changes, foreshadowed in the report which has been circulated from the Committee inquiring into the changes in the Judiciary, there is very little use commenting upon this Estimate in any way, because it is quite obvious that judging by even the small portion of the change carried out, it will entirely alter the whole form of this Estimate. The only item in the sub-head, to which I would care to direct any attention, is on page 105, under the heading, "Probate and Matrimonial, Principal Registry." It provides for eleven officers varying from one Registrar down to six second class clerks. That office probably, more than any other, in the Law Courts affects the whole country, because the clerks in that office have to deal with the granting of letters of Administration and Probate of Wills in cases of death. I understand that this office is at present very much undermanned owing to the resignations of some people who have gone away, and owing to a couple of deaths. Now, whethere the new changes are introduced or not it seems necessary that the bulk of the officers who are provided for in this Estimate, and whose numbers are, at present, considerably below the numbers provided for in this Estimate should, if possible, even if only by temporary appointments, be brought up, to the full complement, because they are performing duties, day in and day out, during the whole year. Other offices have slack times if the Courts are not sitting, and during the vacations, and so on, but people continue to die every day, and their wills have to be proved or letters of administration have to be granted in order that their estates may be administered, and the business of the concerns they left carried on. Therefore, this office, of all the offices in the courts, can least stand being undermanned.
Now, the local Registrar for the constituency represented, I think, by Deputy De Roiste—a very large district, indeed— recently died. I think the local Registrar who used to operate in Tirconaill either died or resigned, and the business of one of these offices has been transferred to Dublin, and has further congested the already congested office there. I venture to hope that the Minister, who has recognised in his Estimate that this office should be carried on, will turn his attention to the matter, and try to keep the staff, by some means or other, up to the necessary complement to fulfil the absolutely essential duties of the office. The business of this office must be carried on from day to day. Other things may wait, and you may allow other offices to run down in numbers awaiting the change, because, of course, there is not as much work in the Courts now as four or five years ago, and you can very well afford to run the present business with a diminished staff; but this is one of the offices in which the business is not diminished, and will not be, so long as you have people in the country and so long as there are deaths occurring, and therefore you cannot afford to run it with a diminished staff.