|
|
The Child Law Project, under the executive directorship of Dr Carol Coulter, has been commissioned by the Department of Justice, Home Affairs and Migration to deliver a new Family Law Reporting Project, aimed at improving public understanding of private family law proceedings, while safeguarding the privacy of children and their families.
This project was awarded following a competitive procurement process that was launched on August 21st 2025 last. It is intended to build confidence in how private family law disputes are determined by the courts, while ensuring proceedings continue to remain private for those involved.
The Family Law Reporting Project is an initiative under Goal 6 (Data, Information and Management) of the Government’s Family Justice Strategy 2022-2025, which commits to improving data collection and sharing across the family justice system. Once established, the project is expected to run for three years.
Dr Coulter founded the Child Law Project in 2012 and has served as Executive Director since then. She is a former Legal Affairs Editor of The Irish Times and previously ran a pilot family law reporting project for the Courts Service in 2006/2007.
So what will the project will do:
Once operational, the Family Law Reporting Project is expected to:
- Gather and analyse information on key aspects of private family law cases to support statistical reporting and trend analysis.
- Produce accessible, anonymised reporting to enhance transparency and understanding of proceedings, while maintaining privacy protections for children and families.
Background
The Family Justice Strategy is also committed to reviewing the operation of the in-camera rule. An independent research report published in May 2025 made 21 recommendations on balancing transparency with the privacy rights of families and children, including recommendations related to private family law reporting.
Concerns have been voiced over road deaths recorded in Ireland and Tipperary during the period 2025.
Provisional figures published by the Road Safety Authority (RSA) and An Garda Síochána show a concerning increase in road fatalities during 2025.
An Garda Síochána recorded 179 fatal collisions in 2025, resulting in 190 fatalities on Irish public roads and in public places, including car parks and other non-public roads.
An RSA report, covering public roads only, in line with historic trends, found 185 deaths in 174 fatal collisions on public roads during 2025. This compares with 171 deaths in 157 fatal collisions in 2024, an 8% increase year-on-year.
Key findings (RSA public-road figures, 2025)
Road user breakdown:
- 76 drivers, 41 pedestrians, 30 motorcyclists, 21 passengers, 14 pedal cyclists, 3 e-scooter users.
- The RSA highlighted increases among drivers and vulnerable road users (pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists).
- Cyclist deaths were the highest recorded since 2017, while motorcyclist fatalities were the highest since 2007.
- Approximately three-quarters of those killed were male, with one-quarter female.
- February and June recorded the fewest fatalities (11 each), while November (21) and December (24) recorded the highest.
- The average number of deaths per month in 2025 was 15, compared with 14 per month in 2024.
County Tipperary: confirmed context figures:
While the RSA end-of-year release does not set out a full county-by-county total in its news statement, published RSA research provides verified longer-term context for County Tipperary.
An RSA “County Briefing on Tipperary” reports that between 2018 and 2022 there were 47 fatalities in County Tipperary, representing 7% of total fatalities during that period.
In a Garda Roads Policing review covering January to June 2025, a county table listed Tipperary with 2 fatalities at that point in the year (part of a national total of 82 to end-June).
An Garda Síochána Assistant Commissioner Ms Catharina Gunne described 2025 as “a devastating year” for families and communities impacted, and said Gardaí will continue targeted enforcement in 2026 focusing on the most dangerous behaviours.
Driver arrested after attempting to evade Mandatory Intoxicant Checkpoint in North Tipperary.
A pregnant female motorist was arrested yesterday in North Tipperary, following an incident at a Mandatory Intoxicant Checkpoint.
Gardaí observed a vehicle attempting to avoid the checkpoint. Members attached to Killaloe Garda Station stopped the car and spoke with the driver.
A roadside drug test returned a positive indication for cocaine. Checks also indicated the vehicle was uninsured.
The pregnant driver was arrested in connection with the alleged road traffic offences and was brought to Nenagh Garda Station. The vehicle was seized and enquiries are ongoing. The results of the blood sample are currently being awaited.
Five Garda trainees have been removed from training programme after alleged “shower prank” at Templemore Garda College, Templemore, Co. Tipperary.
Five trainee gardaí are no longer participating in the Garda training programme following an alleged incident at the Garda Training College in Templemore, Co Tipperary, involving the misuse of handcuffs.
The incident, which was reported earlier this year, is alleged to have involved another trainee being handcuffed and left under a running shower. It has also been claimed that the trainee’s mattress had been placed on top of a wardrobe beforehand.
Last June, it was reported that five trainees had been suspended and that an internal investigation had been launched. A Garda spokesperson at the time said An Garda Síochána did not comment on ongoing internal investigations.
In a later update, press reported that the inquiry into the incident was ongoing and that those involved had not completed their training.
In a statement issued in response to further queries this month, a Garda spokesperson said: “A small number of Garda trainees are no longer involved in the training programme. An Garda Síochána has no further comment”.
The Cabinet has approved the publication of the Garda Síochána (Powers) Bill 2025, a major piece of legislation designed to modernise and consolidate the statutory basis for key Garda powers, placing them on a clearer and more accessible legislative footing.
Key measures in the Bill:
- Reform of search warrants (including electronic devices)
- Updates and reforms the law on search warrants in light of Supreme Court judgments.
- Provides for tailored search warrants specifically authorising the seizure and search of electronic devices, and procedures to assess claims of privilege.
- Strengthens rights for individuals to be informed about authorised access to data on seized electronic devices (Section 23), reflecting the Landeck judgment of the Court of Justice of the European Union.
- Creates a statutory mechanism enabling the examination of devices seized without prior judicial approval, with appropriate authorisation arrangements.
Judicially supervised handling of privileged material.
- Establishes clear statutory procedures to ensure privileged material is handled through a judicially supervised process.
- Confirms legal professional privilege as absolute, and provides a structured process for other forms of privilege, including (where required) determination by the High Court under Section 24.
Stop-and-search provisions.
- Introduces provisions to support greater consistency in the use and understanding of Garda stop-and-search powers.
- Requires Gardaí to make a formal record of all searches, and provides for stop-and-search of a person or vehicle in a public place where Gardaí reasonably suspect possession of a relevant article (as defined in the legislation).
Custody and interview safeguards.
- Places on a statutory footing the existing right of a person in custody to consult a solicitor before and during interview.
- Provides for electronic recording of Garda interviews and modernises the custody framework.
The Bill is intended to clarify the law in an area that has become complex, strengthen safeguards, and provide clear procedures for dealing with privileged material, grounded in the principle that human rights are the foundation and purpose of policing.
A stamped draft of the Garda Síochána (Powers) Bill 2025 has been made available, with formal publication by the Oireachtas to follow in due course.
The Bill builds on the objective of codifying and modernising police powers of search, arrest and detention and strengthening procedural rights, as set out in the earlier general scheme (published June 2021).
|
Support Us Help keep Thurles.info online by donating below. Thank you.
Total Donated 2026: €300.00
Thank You!
Daily Thurles Mass Livestream
|
Recent Comments