Court Service report says some venues ‘not fit for purpose’

A considerable number of court venues are not fit for purpose, a report on prioritising venues for closure released under the Freedom of Information Act has found.

The Report of the Courts Service Building Committee on the Closure of Court Venues also stated the caseload in courts around the country "did not appear to have any influence" on the number of sittings at a venue.

The report provides an insight into the thinking behind the prioritising of court venues for possible closure. It includes a list of 41 venues to be considered. Eight other venues were also vulnerable to closure, the report said, but were not being considered “due to geographical and logistical considerations”.

The identity of 22 venues being considered has been redacted, as allowed under the Freedom of Information Act, on the basis they were part of a “deliberative process”.

The venues named are Ballyhaunis, Swinford and Achill in Co Mayo; An Spidéal, Cill Rónáin and Derrynea in Co Galway; and Virginia and Ballyconnell and Swanlinbar in Co Cavan. Also named are Clonakilty, Skibbereen and Kinsale in Cork; Arklow and Baltinglass in Co Wicklow; Clones in Co Monaghan; Abbeyfeale in Co Limerick; Kilcock in Co Kildare; Edenderry and Birr in Co Offaly; and Kells in Co Meath.

A points system was used to establish the list of courts in order of priority. The highest number of points, up to 20, was awarded for the number of cases handled each year, and the physical condition of the venue also attracted up to 20 points. The maximum number of points available was 62; the venues chosen for possible closure scored between three and 23 points.

Lowest score
The lowest scoring venue in the country was An Spidéal, with only three points, followed by Cill Ronáin and Ballyconnell & Swanlinbar both with four points. Clonakilty had the highest score of those chosen for possible closure with 23.

One venue, with an annual case count of 341 had one sitting a month, the same as a venue with 2,352 cases a year. And a venue with only 774 cases had two sittings per month.

A spokeswoman for the Department of Justice said inclusion in the list of 41 did not necessarily mean that a venue would close.