John Perry (Sligo-North Leitrim, Fine Gael)

I ask the Acting Chairman to let me finish, please. While upgrade works are clearly required on Ballymote court facilities, at a time when more than €200 million has been spent on a new criminal court building in Dublin, €50,000 is all it would take to bring Ballymote's court facility back to acceptable standards.

This proposal from the Courts Service has clearly not been thought through. It is an attempt at short-sighted book-keeping due to budgetary shortfalls. I can assure the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform that any proposal to remove Ballymote District Court would completely undermine the status of the town and will be met by the sternest of opposition. This evening I call for a meeting with the director of the Courts Service along with Deputy Scanlon and representatives of the legal profession to ensure that this closure will not happen.

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