Mechanisms to clear the backlog of court cases adjourned because of foot-and-mouth will be put in place when the crisis is over, a Courts Service spokesman said yesterday.
These measures may include extra sittings for judges, the spokesman said, but stressed the crisis has not caused a closedown of the courts. He said some areas, such as Co Donegal, were substantially affected, while urban centres were not badly hit. Emergency sittings are being held.
Personal injury cases have been the worst affected, with High Court cases in Dublin and High Court circuit sittings in Waterford, the north and east being adjourned.
Instead the judiciary is focusing on judicial review cases at High Court level, he said.
There has been a 40 per cent drop in High Court non-emergency family law cases, which usually involve judicial separation and divorce.
In the Circuit Criminal Court, High Court and the Supreme Court, cases originating in rural areas, or involving people from rural areas, are being dealt with on a "case-by-case basis".
High Court sittings involving juries in farming areas have been adjourned in the north-eastern region from Cavan to Donegal, and in Louth and Meath. Generally, Circuit Courts are dealing with non-jury matters. Civil cases which judges can deal with themselves are going ahead.
In District Court cases, it is up to the judge in a local area to decide if the case should be adjourned.