Kathryn Reilly (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister of State to the House. The Courts Service is embarking on a detailed evaluation of District Court locations and in County Cavan specifically, it is looking at Virginia and Ballyconnell. In the event of a decision to close either of these venues, business will be moved to Cavan town. I believe there were approximately 240 District Curt venues when the Courts Service was originally established in 1989. There have been some court closures in the past and now it seems there will be more. If the District Courts at Ballyconnell and Virginia are closed there will be a logistical expense involved in getting local gardaí from their stations to Cavan town. It will also mean that the gardaí will be away from the communities in which they are based for longer periods of time.

This was highlighted by a District Court judge. There would also be listing problems in that logistical difficulties could emerge as a result of courts operating from the one venue, which could necessitate dedicated days being reserved for particular areas. It is important that those who have to travel to courts from rural areas can do so and that they have access to justice.

It is hard to understand the rationale for the closure of Virginia courthouse. While there is a separate Garda division based in Bailieborough, a large number of big towns are being served by that catchment area. In addition, as it is on the commuter belt there has been a large influx of people into the towns of Kingscourt, Bailieborough, Ballyjamesduff, Kilnaleck and Mullagh. The courthouse was extensively renovated in 2009 and the number of cases taken there since its reopening have increased annually. I understand that in 2011 alone approximately 3,000 cases were heard. It is a busy courthouse, which is IT friendly, includes a consultation room and provides wheelchair access but does not have cells. However, neither does the courthouse in Cavan, to which the service may be relocated.

I believe there is a disconnect between the Courts Service and Minister for Justice and Equality in terms of the review and the courts proposed to be closed. The closure of these small rural courthouses, in particular Virginia courthouse, without the provision of adequate alternative services, other than relocating them to Cavan town, will be negative in terms of accessibility. Common complaints in regard to previous closures include the significant expense and difficulty travelling to the nearest court, including the cost of petrol, in particular to Ballyconnell courthouse in respect of which public transport is limited and is not aligned with court opening hours, and that individuals attending courts may have to pay for accommodation and food and take time off work. A direct consequence in some courthouses as a result is that defendants are not turning up for hearings, resulting in adjournments and the expense of further arrangements. The reduction in access to justice by way of closure of some of these District Court courthouses is not the best way to improve justice outcomes in the communities concerned. Access to courts is essentially access to justice. The vulnerable communities served by these courts need access to justice to ensure confidence in the system.

I have seen the criteria being used in terms of the review. I am concerned about the closure of the District Court in Virginia in particular.