Frank Feighan (Sligo-Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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682. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the reason the modern, state of the art courtroom and facilities at Castlerea prison continue to lie idle and unused, resulting in prison staff and prisoners having to regularly undertake a 5-hour round-trip to attend Letterkenny district court instead; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51385/25]

Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail)
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As the Deputy will appreciate, management of the courts, operational matters and logistical functions are the responsibility of the judiciary and Courts Service, which are independent in the exercise of their functions under the Courts Service Act 1998 and given the separation of powers in the Constitution.

However, to be of assistance, officials at my Department have made enquiries of the Courts Service regarding the Deputy's question. I am advised that, in relation to Court sittings at Harristown Courtroom (at Castlerea Prison), the Courts Service have confirmed that there has been no change to the scheduled sittings taking place in that location. The Court is scheduled to sit on four Fridays each month which it continues to do. During 2024, the Court sat on 46 occasions and, to date in 2025, the Court has sat on 34 occasions.

Where the District Court sitting at Harristown is dealing with remands from other Districts (pursuant to section 5 of the Criminal Justice (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1997) it should be noted that it has no jurisdiction to finalise the charges/hear the trial and the matter must be remanded back to the originating court for trial/sentence. Physical attendance for remands (rather than appearance by video link) is a matter for the judiciary and is subject to section 23 of the Civil Law and Criminal Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2020.

I am further advised that video link (rather than physical attendance at the Court) is the default position for any remand in Letterkenny District Court unless the Judge directs otherwise.