Solicitors ready to take legal action to stop courts closing
The Courts Service is proposing to transfer district court sittings in Skibbereen and Clonakilty to Cork City as part of a rationalisation programme designed to save money.
The Kinsale court was transferred to Bandon courthouse 18 months ago.
It could mean round trips of up to 200km for people living in Ballydehob (which is in the Skibbereen district court catchment area) to Cork.
Maria O’Donovan, honorary secretary of the West Cork Bar Association, said it was just another example of services being cut in the region.
“One of the most serious effects — as our association sees it — will be the restriction of West Cork’s citizens’ rights to access justice,” she said.
She claimed it cost the Courts Service in the region of €10,000 annually to keep the Skibbereen facility open.
“The district court sits in Skibbereen twice a month and the circuit court sits in Skibbereen on average six times a year. The average cost to the Courts Service to keep the court open is therefore approximately €400 per sitting,” Ms O’Donovan said.
She said the costs which would be incurred by other state bodies and the public travelling to Cork would far outweigh the saving the Courts Service will make.
“It means anyone having business before the court will have to travel to Cork to have it dealt with. This issue does not just affect those brought before the courts on criminal charges,” she said.
“This affects people applying to the courts for protection under the domestic violence legislation, people making various liquor licensing applications, local clubs renewing their club registration, the town traffic warden and others.
“The proposed move to Cork will also mean that, as has been experienced in other towns which have lost their courts, it is conceivable all members of the local Garda Siochána would be required to attend court in Cork on the same day, leaving the town un-serviced by the gardaí. This is huge security exposure,” she said.
The West Cork Bar Association maintains, as a result, the State will have to pay out additional travel allowances and overtime for gardaí.
“In cases involving the HSE the local social workers will also have to travel. In many cases this involves both the social worker and the team leader giving evidence,” Ms O’Donovan said.
West Cork has already lost six court venues in the last 10 years — Castletownbere, Schull, Glengarriff, Dunmanway, Millstreet and Coachford.
The West Cork Bar Association is actively lobbying politicians in the area.
It is expected the Courts Service proposals will be discussed at a meeting of Cork County Council on Monday.
