This Directorate is responsible for:

Financial Management:

Budgetary control and financial management of the funds voted to the Courts Service by the Oireachtas to manage the courts and support the judiciary. This includes the preparation of the annual Appropriation Account.

Funds Accounting:

The Courts Service in accordance with the Courts Service Act 1998 is responsible for the management and administration of the Courts and provides support services for the judges. Court funds are held in trust by the Courts. These funds are invested in line with the provisions of the Trustee (Authorised Investments) Act, 1958 and subsequent orders. There are more than 18,000 beneficiaries and these include various categories of litigant, persons who are Wards of Court and Minors who have been awarded damages by the Courts. These funds were valued at approximately €1.3 billion at 30 September 2013.

Courts Accounting:

Through a shared service centre established for the processing of all financial transactions in the local court offices. These transactions include fines, family law maintenance and bail.

Procurement:

Provide support and training to all offices undertaking procurement of goods and services. The objective of this function is to ensure compliance with EU and national procurement regulations and achieve value for money.

Risk Management:

A risk management framework has been successfully implemented over recent years and formal risk management is now well embedded across the organisation. This unit ensures that planned actions to address identified risk are followed up and reported to the Senior Management Team and Audit Committee.

Training and Development:

Training and development is an important area of activity in ensuring that the 980 staff employed by the Courts Service have the necessary skills to competently carry out their roles and responsibility. This unit also supports the development of staff though a range of courses.  

Organisational Development:

The Courts Service is an organisation that has gone though significant change since it was established in 1999. Based on the new strategic plan and factors in the external environment the rate of change is expected to continue. This unit supports Heads of Directorate and others in ensuring the effective implementation of major change initiatives.

Human Resource Management:

Phone: +353 1 888 6095

Fax: +353 1 888 6090

Email: HRHelpdesk@courts.ie

This area deals with all activities associated with staffing from recruitment to retirement, including induction, probations, pay related matters, promotions, resignations, staff transfers, performance management, civil service disciplinary code, and industrial relations. The unit also works towards the initiating and facilitating of organisational change initiatives through Partnership Committees and other fora.