James O'Connor (Cork East, Fianna Fail)

I want to raise the issue of Youghal District Court being removed from the town. Youghal has lost much of its public services over a protracted period. I want to raise the matter of retaining a District Court. There was a previous attempt to remove it. Unfortunately, moving those services to Dungarvan also brings Garda resources from Youghal, outside County Cork, half an hour's drive away, to another location. I want to raise the importance of keeping this in the town. Crime is not a big issue in Youghal, thankfully, but we have had a number of sad, high-profile cases. Having a District Court in the town, which has about 8,500 residents in the winter and increasing to approximately 12,000 in the summer, is much needed for the local community. This is part of a wider restructuring but I want to advocate that we need to retain it. Local solicitors have come to me, as have people from An Garda Síochána, on the basis of confidentiality. Others involved in protecting our justice services in the town have expressed serious concern at this move.

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