Council and Court Service téte-a-téte

HEADS OF LOCAL AUTHORITY AND COURTS SERVICE DISCUSS MOVING TRALEE’S COURT

THE head of the Courts Service has met the head of Kerry County Council to discuss the future of Tralee Courthouse.

The court building – which is generally accepted as unfit for purpose – is due to be either refurbished, or moved to a new building on a greenfield site. Many town centre businesses and members of the legal community are vehemently opposed to the courts moving and want to see the courthouse stay on Ashe Street.

However, the State’s favoured option seems to be a new building in a new location.

Various sites have been mooted, with the council-owned former Denny Factory site and a brownfield site at Ballymullen frequently cited as an ideal location for a new courthouse complex.

Previously senior sources in the Department of Justice have indicated that the Denny Site is the State’s favoured option.

Recently, Kerry TD John Brassil raised the issue with the Justice Minister, Charlie Flanagan, whom he asked for an update on this matter.

In his reply, Minister Flanagan revealed that the Chief Executive of the Courts Service, Brendan Ryan, had ‘recently’ met personally with Kerry County Council CEO Moira Murrell to discuss the future provision of court services in Tralee.

Minister Flanagan said he had been told by the Courts Service that no decisions have been made and “all options are under review”.

Members of Kerry County Council are divided on the issue. Several say they totally oppose the Denny site proposal, pointing out that the idea of building a new courthouse on the site never formed part of the extensive public consultation process when the council was preparing a masterplan for the site.