The Courts Service has said a courthouse in the Midlands is not in a dangerous condition, despite criticisms from the sitting judge.
Speaking in Mullingar District Court, Judge John Neilan said that two weeks ago “the whole building began to fall” to the extent that builders had to leave the site. He added that one plinth stone had recently begun “to wobble in the wind”.
The judge suggested the building should be “stripped down to its naked state”.
The Courts Service has responded, saying that “while the building is in need of repair, modernisation, and refurbishment, it is not in a dangerous condition”.
The Service replied to the judge’s claim that the renovation of the courthouse is unlikely to go ahead “because of the death of the Celtic Tiger” by saying that investigative works to assess the extent of the work are required before the contract goes to tender.
This involves taking down courses of stone high on the left hand side of the front elevation, now under scaffolding, to confirm the extent of work required on the actual stonework.
A steel strap has been put in place above the central bay at the front of the building where members of the design team observed a plant had established roots which were causing the stone above it to open up.
Because the courthouse is no longer deemed suitable for the increased numbers of cases and defendants in custody, Mullingar Circuit Court is currently sitting in Tullamore.
