Stance softens on Cork court relocations

The Courts Service appears to have softened its approach to relocating some of West Cork’s district courts to Cork City.

Last September the Courts Service wrote to the West Cork Bar Association, which represents 120 solicitors in the region, informing it that a review was taking place of district courts in Skibbereen, Clonakilty, and Kinsale, and that all three might be transferred to sittings in the city.

The news caused uproar, not just among those in the legal profession, but business interests who feared they would lose trade in the towns if the district court sittings were removed.

West Cork Bar Association said it would cost people significantly more money to travel to the city.

Concern was also expressed that Garda witnesses would effectively be away from their bases most of the day, which might have security implications for the three towns.

Chief Supt Tom Hayes, who is in charge of policing the region, also wrote to the Courts Service.

He said he had made that organisation “aware of the potential negative impact on the Garda budget if all three courts are transferred to Cork City”.

A Courts Service official has now written to the West Cork Bar Association claiming there was a misunderstanding with its initial proposals, despite it being clear from the initial correspondence that all three courts could be potentially moved to the city.

Diarmuid O’Shea, president of the West Cork Bar Association, has written back to the Courts Service official saying there could have been no misunderstanding about the initial proposals.

“The suggestion that the three venues would be moved to an alternative venue other than Cork is a clear departure from the Courts Service’s own assessment in the letter of Sept 3 last,” he said.

In the latest round of correspondence from the Courts Service, an official maintains again “that in the event of closing the three courts, they would be moved to the next nearest appropriate venue and not Cork City”.

This is then contradicted in the next paragraph when he goes on to say that “Skibbereen could be moved to Bantry, Clonakilty to Bandon, and Kinsale to Bandon or Cork City”.

Mr O’Shea said: “To suggest that there was a misunderstanding as to the alternative venues, or to propose a change at this stage to same, clearly undermines the Courts Service’s own assessment.”

Kinsale District Court was temporarily transferred to Bandon last year as the building had been deemed unsuitable. On Jan 1, Judge James McNulty moved the court back to another venue in Kinsale that had become available.

He is also using the court’s poor box to provide money for renovation works on the former courthouse in Kinsale.