Ireland’s 152 judges claimed travel, subsistence and other expenses worth a total of €1.721 million last year.
The figures reflect a 30 per cent fall in judges’ expenses since 2008 despite an increase in the numbers of serving judges.
Almost all of the amount was incurred by the judges of the District Court and the judges of the Circuit Court, whose roles usually require them to travel between several courthouses in provincial towns.
The District Court which is the busiest court, accrued costs of €1 million last year to provide judges with travel and accommodation to attend at all the areas of local jurisdiction. The lowest cost per judge was €900 with the highest being €45,000.
The Circuit Court sits each court day in different venues across the country and requires varying amounts of travel. The overall cost was €560,000 – with the lowest cost incurred being €250 and the highest cost of €30,000.
