Court set for flood of divorced cases
February 1997
Staff at Wexford Circuit Court office are bracing themselves for an influx of divorce applications, following the introduction last Thursday of the relevant legislation.
Already hard-pressed to cope, with an increased workload, Circuit Court staff are not looking forward to the additional pressure the divorce provisions will bring.
There has been a massive expansion in civil litigation cases generally in recent years, added to a widening of the Circuit Court jurisdiction five years ago and the appointment of extra judges, with a resulting increase in administrative and legal requirements.
Anticipating a big hike in the workload as a result of the divorce legislation, the Wexford office, in common with other centres around the country, has applied to the Department of Justice for extra personnel.
It is understood that the processing requirements of divorce applications will be very much grounded in computer work and paper work, with lengthy applying and defending affidavits having to be thoroughly checked, and application particulars having to be logged in cause books.
In addition to the preparatory work and the issuing of correspondence to both parties in a divorce application, staff will have to record haring details and process decisions.
It is difficult however to predict just how many initial applications for divorce will be made in Co. Wexford. While there is a long list of separated couples on the court’s family law list, many of them may not wish to officially file for divorce.
She and her husband paid a visit to Rosslare two weeks ago. They played a game of golf with another couple and went into the bar for a drink afterwards.
‘We decided to play a game of snooker, but were quickly informed by the barman that women were not allowed to play,’ she says.
Jim Hall, secretary of Rosslare Golf Club, has confirmed that a restriction on snooker to males only is a rule of the club.
‘Snooker is for full members only, and women can’t be full members of the club.’
Under golfing union rules, women are not eligible for full membership of golf clubs. They are entitled to associate membership only, a position which allows them no say in the overall running of club affairs.
Mr Hall said no member of the women’s section of Rosslare Golf Club had yet complained about the snooker rule.
‘We don’t get any complaints about equality. Everyone is completely happy with the situation,’ he said.
And not unless there was a demand from the lady members would a change in the rule be considered, he added.
[COMPLAINANT] feels it is high time women demanded and achieved equal treatment with men in sport as in all other walks of life.
‘In the 1980s, there is simply no rationale for such a situation, so we look forward to speedy changes. In the meantime, Rosslare Golf Club might at least consider making its snooker table available to women. Such a gesture would not infringe Irish Golfing Union rules,’ she says.
At Wexford Golf Club, where the bar is equipped with a pool table, women are not prohibited from joining in. ‘Women are entitled to play pool if they want to,’ a spokesman for the club said.
‘ The women in our club don’t have voting rights either, but that is something we can’t do anything about,’ he added. ‘ That is governed by the Golfing Union, and in turn by the Royal and Ancient Order of St. Andrew.’