Judge comments on ESB profits and probation services at Kildare court

A Naas District Court judge was visibly frustrated over the lack of probation services at the courthouse, and also made reference to recent ESB profits.

Judge Desmond Zaidan made the comments on Thursday, March 23, during a theft case.

When the defendant's solicitor, Brian Larkin, asked to have his client put forward for a probation report, the judge said that while he understood his suggestion, he had an issue with it.

He explained: "I won't put it (the case) back for a probation report, because if I do, do you want to know what will happen?

"Nearly every case I put back for a probation report, when it returns a few months later, I just get two or three lines basically saying: 'we're sorry Judge, due to a lack of resources, we can't do it,' and then the case goes back to next year."

Judge Zaidan added: "Maybe (it could be done) if, for example, the profits made by the ESB could be used to fund the probation services... I'm serious."

In response, Mr Larkin said that he would seek the report himself.

He was referring to the recent news that the ESB have reported that their profits have more than doubled, after tax, due to the high prices of wholesale energy.

According to Extra.ie, the ESB said that the profits have come from the company generating power, not from customers.

The case was adjourned to a date in September for sentencing, and the judge remanded the defendant on continuing bail until this date.