THE Minister for Justice says he’s alarmed at the antiquated condition of the courthouse in Tralee.

Charlie Flanagan spent nearly an hour inspecting the building on Ashe Street in Tralee amid proposals from the Court Services to build a new courthouse on the outskirts of the town.

Tralee Chamber Alliance, local politicians and the Kerry Law Society say such a move would have a devastating impact on the town centre economy and they are calling for the existing courthouse to be renovated.

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Minister for State and Kerry TD, Brendan Griffin accompanied the Justice Minister on his visit to Tralee Courthouse where he met the President of Tralee Chamber Alliance, Aidan Kelly and was given a tour of the facility by Tralee solicitor and Councillor Pa Daly.

They presented Minister Flanagan with a number of viable options that would lead to the continuation of court services at the current location in Tralee.

These include the refurbishment of the Tralee Courthouse and the purchase or lease of some nearby buildings and land that would lead to the establishment of a practical and fully-functioning modern legal complex.

 

In April 2017, Tralee Chamber Alliance led a delegation of high profile business people and public representatives to meet with the former Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality, Frances Fitzgerald.

The delegation told Ms Fitzgerald that the proposal to build a new courthouse on a green-field site at Ballymullen Barracks, Tralee would have a devastating impact on the town centre.

The former Minister said that other options would be considered but she and her advisors, who were in attendance, added that the renovation of the existing courthouse on Ashe Street would be the least likely option owing to the huge cost.

Further to that meeting, the President of Tralee Chamber Alliance, Aidan Kelly and Cllr Pa Daly returned to Dublin on March 22nd 2018 to meet the CEO of the Courts Service, Brendan Ryan. They reiterated the fact that the current courthouse is a huge asset for Tralee and from a commercial point of view, it adds great value to the centre of town.

They impressed upon Mr Ryan that if a new court building is completed elsewhere in Tralee, the Ashe Street site, a protected structure, will be left idle.