Search Results for 'Courts Service'

Women experiencing domestic violence have identified assistance from a domestic violence service as a vital support in accessing and negotiating the legal system to obtain protection from an abusive partner or ex-partner.

Athlone’s District Court judge has claimed expenses in excess of €40,000 in 2012, that’s according to figures released by the Courts Service last week.

Along with milk and bread, some people will be adding ‘pay court fine’ to their shopping list from early next year as the Court Service is looking for 40 local shops in Galway to take part in a national penalty payment initiative.

The future of the St Loman’s building on the Delvin Road was thrown into doubt this week with the news that the interest of the HSE’s only potential tenant has evaporated.

Deputy Willie Penrose met with Minister of State, Brian Hayes, the OPW, and the Courts Service this week with a view to discussing the provision of alternative temporary facilities to enable District Court Sittings to continue in Mullingar, when the current facility at Mount Street is closed next year for the carrying out of much-needed renovation and refurbishment.

The controversial news this summer that the Courts Service was to close the court houses in Swinford and Ballyhaunis led to fears that the closure of those courts would see a further centralising of the administration of justice into Castlebar. Both court houses are due to close at the end of the year, but this week Fine Gael TD Michelle Mulherin has said that district court business, such as criminal, licensing, and civil cases from Swinford will move to Ballina rather than to Castlebar as first expected. Mulherin welcomed the decision of the Courts Service to amalgamate Swinford District Court with Ballina which she said should ensure the future viability of Ballina District Court Office.

Mr Patrick O’Connor, coroner for Mayo East, this week hit out at the decision of the Court Service to close both of the courthouses in Swinford and Ballyhaunis. In a statement made at inquests being held in Swinford on Tuesday this week, Mr O’Connor said that the decision is a “regrettable, retrograde, reactionary decision that will, in the long-term have profound consequences for County Mayo. Not only will there be job losses in solicitors’ offices but there will be a serious economic effect on the entire east Mayo region of which Swinford has been the principal market town for more than 200 years.”

Reacting to the recent announcement by the Court Services that Swinford and Ballyhaunis courthouses will close Mayo Fine Gael TD Michelle Mulherin has told the Dáil that she is concerned about the apparent policy of centralisation of court services that could lead to the transfer of all County Mayo court sittings centrally to the courthouse in Castlebar over time with 10 courthouses having closed in the past 12 years in the county.

Westport Courthouse has been temporarily closed on health and safety grounds. All cases listed for district court and circuit court sittings will be temporarily transferred to Castlebar.

All of the Swinford solicitors and their staff are challenging the evaluation criteria set out by the Courts Service in an effort to have at least one court in operation for east Mayo. At present, based on the flawed criteria and a lack of meaningful engagement with the local community, the closure is likely. It also comes at a time when Swinford Garda Station has been downgraded and the closure of the local Teagasc office is imminent.