Large Turnout Expected At Roscrea 'Save Our Courthouse' Protest
Thursday, 1 December 2011
A large turnout is anticipated at a silent protest outside Roscrea Courthouse on this Thursday morning at 10a.m. to object to the closure of the Courthouse and the moving of Court services to Nenagh.
Thursday morning will mark the final full Court sitting in Roscrea, with the Court due to sit at 10.30a.m. This decision by Court Services is being deemed as totally unnecessary in light of the fact that it will generate savings of a mere €8,000, and it is also being slammed as 'dismantling the town and reducing it to village status'.
North Tipperary County Council agreed a motion proposed by Cllr. Michael Smith at their meeting on Monday last to write to Minister for Justice, Alan Shatter, to reverse the decision by Courts Service to close the Court in Roscrea.
Despite extensive efforts by a local group, led by Solicitors Brendan Hyland and Michael Breen and RCDC Chairman John Lupton, to ensure that Court sittings would continue in Roscrea, the Courts Service has taken what would appear to be a final decision to close the local Court. In a letter dated October 26th from Mr. John Coyle, Head of Circuit and District Court Operations, he states that Courts Service can see no 'reasonable justification' for reviewing the decision to close the Court, adding that he had already considered most of the points made by local delegation that met him some weeks ago when he was formulating the original plan for closure.
The letter states that Courts Service cannot sustain using a Courthouse that does not meet the standards that they wish to provide and that Court users are entitled to expect, particularly when there is a state of the art facility in Nenagh, which is not being used to its full potential. He says that the issue of holding cells in the Roscrea Courthouse, far from being a 'red herring', is a very serious issue, particularly for the Prison Service who have asked that only Courthouses with cell accommodation be used for cases involving people in custody.
Mr. Coyle concluded his letter by stating that he appreciates that some inconvenience will be caused to Court users, but that 'all the people currently using Roscrea District Court do not live within walking distance of the Courthouse and must have some means of transport available to them'.
RCDC's Chairman John Lupton, who was part of the delegation to meet with Courts Service, is pleading with all available to gather outside the Court on this Thursday. RCDC is organising this demonstration to give local people a chance to make their feelings known on the closure of the Court and the downgrading of the town.
Mr. Lupton says 'As we well know we have no Town Council, so it is considerably easier to dismantle our town and reduce it to village status, which is what this decision if implemented will work towards doing. Our neighbouring town of Birr, half the size of Roscrea, has enjoyed Town Council status for many years. So are we surprised that their Court Houses, to date in any event, are to remain in situ?'.
He continues 'The monetary saving to the Irish Court Service is a paltry figure of €8,000 and this is according to the Irish Courts Service themselves. While one can only wonder at the far greater cost of closing Roscrea Court, in terms of Garda travel and subsistence alone, not to mention the additional cost to those attending court and their families; the cost and loss of Revenue to the community of Roscrea; the opportunity cost of having Roscrea Gardai spending long hours and perhaps days in Nenagh at court sittings and thus a shortage of garda manpower in Roscrea. With this decision we must ask will it be a precursor to curtailing Garda Service in Roscrea? Could we also see the closure of our Garda Station at night, which has already been muted previously?
'Therefore I would plead with the people of Roscrea to protest this decision outside the courthouse on this Thursday December 1st at 10 a.m. Let us as a community not accept "disempowerment" which is being foisted on us by our bureaucratic overloads. If they are to dismantle our town and, on this occasion also, deny our community the right to justice administered locally, let us not acquiesce in our own diminishment and disempowerment by doing nothing', urged Mr Lupton.
In a statement on the matter this week, Fianna Fail Cllr. Michael Smith says 'The decision to close the Courthouse in Roscrea is portrayed as an economic necessity but in reality is a political decision by a "slash and burn" Minister and is a clear attack on rural Ireland. Its closure will be a massive blow to our region and deprive the town of Roscrea and surrounding area of a vital frontline service. This policy decision will not save any money. Everyone associated with the functioning of our courts will now have to travel from their home area. Gardaí will be away from their own areas for much longer periods and extra inconvenience as well as transport costs to others attending courts.
'The Council has recently spent over €35,000 in upgrading these premises and now future use of these courts is unclear. I'm sure Minister Kelly and Deputy Coonan have done their best to change Minister Alan Shatter's mind but it is clear to me and others that they obviously don't have the power or influence to change this decision. As a Council we must pursue this with vigour, writing to the Minister and the Court service, stating our determination not to allow this service to be withdrawn for the benefit of the town and surrounding areas.'
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