Ms Angela Denning:

No. Access has been an ongoing issue in Tralee for a long number of years. Local solutions have been found where a case might be listed in Listowel, for example, instead of Tralee if we knew somebody with a physical disability was coming to court. It was always felt that because a new courthouse was being considered, or that renovations were being considered, the cost of putting an external lift in place would not deliver value for money. It is the only option in Tralee. The design of the building is almost round so the only place we could put an external lift is at the back at the judges' entrance, which creates other problems. In a context where we wished to renovate or do work at Tralee - it is on the national development plan - there remains the question of value for money and the amount of money that would have to be spent with this building in particular in order to put an external lift on it.