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the service has to be kept under constant review in
consultation with the other Government Departments
concerned.
In the year ended 31st December, 1971, 71 persons
were naturalised as compared with 95 the previous year.
This brings to 2,928 the total number of all persons
naturalised since 1935, when provision for naturalisation
was made.
Film Censorship and Censorship of Publications
In 1970, the latest year for which figures are available,
the Film Censor examined 789 films with a total footage
of 3,034,288. The number of films examined by the
Censor in 4969 wac 843 and the footage examined in
that year was 2,767,232. Of the total of 789 films which
the Censor examined in 1970, 646 were passed without
cuts, 70 were passed with cuts and 73 were rejected.
The Censor issued 119 limited certificates. The Censor-
ship of Films Appeal Board considered appeals in respect
of 74 films. Sixteen of the appeals were rejected. Four
films were allowed for general viewing without cuts, 13
for limited viewing without cuts and 41 for limited
viewing with cuts.
The Censorship of Publications Board examined 367
books and 13 periodicals in 1971. Five books were
examined as a result of formal complaints from mem-
bers of the public and 362 books were referred to the
board by Officers of Customs and Excise. The board
made 291 prohibition orders in respect of books and
five in respect of periodicals.
Appeals for revocation of prohibition orders were
lodged with the Censorship of Publications Appeal
Board in respect of five books, and five appeals were
made for variation orders in respect of particular
editions of books prohibited and a further five were
brought forward from 1970. The Appeal Board made
two variation orders.
Under section 2 of the Censorship of Publications
Act, 1967, a prohibition order imposed on the ground
that a book was indecent or obscene ceases to have
effect after 12 years. By virtue of this provision, 279
prohibition orders in respect of books ceased to have
effect on 31st December, 1971.
In the Public Record Office the amount of material
being transferred continued to grow.
The District Court
I am not responsible for industrial schools, reformatory
schools, St. Laurence's Centre for Delinquent Boys in
Finglas, the remand home at Marlborough House in
Glasnevin or the projected replacement of St. Conleth's
School in Oberstown. I mention these places because
Deputies may have been led to believe from references
in the news media that they are controlled by my
Department.
Deputies may recall that an order made by my pre-
decesor which came into operation on 1st April, 1969,
provided for a general closedown of sittings of the
District Court during the month of August and for
short periods at Easter and Christmas and for the
holding of special sittings as required to handle urgent
business. In general, this system operated smoothly and
successfully, met the convenience of the general public
and contributed to the efficiency of the District Court.
However, on the basis of practical experience of its
working, I felt that a further improvement could be
made by providing that, instead of special sittings as
required, weekly vacation sittings would be held at a
central venue in each District Court during the month
of August, with additional sittings in Cork and Dublin.
The new arrangements came into operation with effect
from 1st August, 1970.
Hie Dublin Circuit Court
A particular problem arises from delays that have
been building up in the Dublin Circuit Court in the trial
of offenders and in the hearing of criminal appeals. To
meet this situation, the President, on the recommend-
ation of the Government, appointed an additional
Circuit Court judge for the Dublin circuit for a period
of two years from 6th December, 1971. This means that
there are now four Circuit judges assigned to Dublin In
addition the spare time of the provincial judges con-
tinues to be utilised in the Dublin circuit. Since the
appointment of the additional Circuit Court judge for
Dublin, the delays in the hearing of cases have been
reduced. At present, the average delay in the trial of an
offence is six months as compared with eight months
formerly. In the case of a criminal appeal, delay has
been reduced from seven months to three months. I
hope and expect that the position will continue to
'improve. It will be generally accepted that persons
should be brought to trial or, as the case may be, have
their appeals determined as speedily as possible.
The rapidly-increasing volume of court business in
Dublin in recent years has imposed a growing strain on
available accommodation for the courts and court offices,
particularly in the Four Court complex. It is now clear
that the existing accommodation is no longer adequate
and that the time has come for a complete reassessment
of the present and future accommodation requirements
of all the courts in Dublin. I am, therefore, setting up a
small committee representative of the Departments
immediately concerned to look into the matter. The
President of the High Court has kindly consented to act
as chairman of that committee which, I expect, will
begin work immediately.
The Dublin Children's Court
The accommodation available to the Children's
Court in Dublin leaves much to be desired. I
have, accordingly, had the accommodation examined
with a view to seeing whether it can be improved
pending the outcome of the deliberations of the com-
mittee I have mentioned. Certain proposals, designed to
improve existing accommodation in the short team are
at present under discussion between my Department
and the Office of Public Works.
Wide publicity has been given to statements that
16,000 children pass through the children's court
rjinually. The figure of 16,000 refers, in fact, to the
number of charges listed and not to the number of
children. The number of children involved would be
approximately one third of the number of charges.
Staffing and Legal Aid
The staffing requirements of the Circuit Court and the
District Court are at present being re-assessed in the
light of the increasing volume of work in these courts
in recent years. The staffing situation will be reviewed
in the light of experience of the increases in the juris-
diction of these courts under the Courts Act, 1971.
A review of the free legal aid scheme was completed
in 1970. After discussions with the General Council of
the Bar in Ireland and the Incorporated Law Society.
An order was made on 7th October, 1970, increasing
substantially the fees payable to solicitors and counsel
under the scheme and providing for the payment of
additionat fees and expenses in certain circumstances.
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