Brian Stanley (Laois, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I am aware that the OPW will not carry out the work, but it is involved. It is its job to find a suitable site. The Department of Justice and Equality passed us back to the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform. I originally tabled the question to the Minister for Justice and Equality.

The current courthouse on the main street is totally unsuitable. There are no parking areas and prison vans are parked on each side of Church Street on sitting days. There are no holding cells, which means that prisoners are held in vans on the street for long periods of time. That causes all kinds of problems for the Garda, public and everybody else.

There is a distinct lack of privacy in the building for clients to consult with solicitors or barristers, which means that a lot of communication takes place in crowded hallways. Family law courts are held in the same building and areas as other cases, which means that a person who is seeking access to children or dealing with a family law case is in the same area as hardened criminals. A number of sites have been proposed.

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