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AN Alliance of Tralee businesses, town centre traders , legal practitioners and public representatives will be writing to Minister for Justice and the Courts Service outlining a joint position that court hearings should remain in the Courthouse on Ashe Street .
Members of the various interests met on Tuesday afternoon to discuss the ongoing issue. A decision is due to be made soon on whether the court sittings will be moved, with a new Courthouse at Ballymullen mentioned as a possible location in the past.
“Members of the legal profession, town centre businesses, politicians, An Garda Siochána, and the Press are in favour of the courts remaining in the current building,” said local solicitor and county councillor Pa Daly.
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They met with the Courts Service on separate occasions last year and there is an acknowledgement that the Courthouse needs to be improved in order to comply with the needs of a modern court building with adequate wheelchair access, compliance with the EU Directive regarding a room for victims of crime, proper facilities for meetings with clients and facilities for members of the Press.
“We submit there is ample space to make the necessary improvements within the current structure which with a little imagination and financial support the current building can continue to serve the County of Kerry rather than spending money on a new facility on the outskirts of the town,” said local solicitor and county councillor, Pa Daly.
“Worryingly however, no improvements have been carried out or announced even though a firm of architects have produced a report for the Courts Service and, while we understand that An Post are open to the idea of a land transfer in order to provide extra space, no agreement has been made,” he added.
If the “Members of the legal profession, town centre businesses, politicians, An Garda Siochána, and the Press are in favour of the courts remaining in the current building,”
Then there is only one solution and that is for the Court house to have an extension and clearly the only way is up. Why not add a couple of floors to the historic building by adding some modern architecture! The courthouse could climb up a couple of floor to become a 3 or 4 or even 5 storey building! Why not – it would be great..