Latest news with #CourtsService
BreakingNews.ie
a day ago
- Politics
- BreakingNews.ie
Courts service spent €1.5m on temporary courthouse in Roscommon
A judge told the Courts Service they were heading for an OPW style fiasco after spending €1.5 million on a temporary courthouse. In a message to management, Judge James Faughnan lambasted a decision to provide just a single courtroom in Roscommon when two had been available in their old building. Advertisement The judge said he was sure the Courts Service would not want a 'light shone' on their lack of foresight in providing sub-par accommodation at significant cost. Judge Faughnan said that with a general election looming and 'recent OPW disasters' over the Leinster House bike shelter and security hut, bad publicity was very likely. In an email last September, he said he would 'never dream' of going public but said the situation was likely to come to a head in 2025. Judge Faughnan said that when the temporary accommodation on the outskirts of Roscommon Town was being planned, he specifically asked for provision of a second courtroom. Advertisement He wrote: 'The Courts Service, while on notice of this, then spent over €1.5 million without providing a second courtroom. 'I can only imagine that if that got picked up by the media, there would be an awful lot of questions to answer.' He said the expenditure on the temporary accommodation would be 'laughable if it wasn't so serious.' In another message to court management last October, Judge Faughnan said the Courts Service had used up 'all the goodwill' extended to them by legal people working in Roscommon. Advertisement He pleaded for a temporary second courtroom on site which he believed could be provided at very little cost. 'It would lend itself to a timber frame type construction which could be erected speedily,' he wrote. He said the current situation was unsustainable and that a proposed solution to provide temporary facilities in Castlerea Prison was unlikely to work. Judge Faughnan wrote: 'I do not accept the works carried out in Castlerea to be beneficial as prior to the works, the facilities were Dickensian and have only regularised what was needed for many years.' The judge was one of three who wrote to the Courts Service outlining serious concerns over their workplace in County Roscommon. Advertisement In another letter, Judge Kenneth Connolly said the old courthouse in Roscommon town had been shut down because of the 'very poor' conditions there. However, he said the new facility on the outskirts of the town had 'not performed' and was 'unsuitable as even a medium-term option". Judge Connolly said there was little parking, nowhere nearby for jurors or the public to buy food or drink, and that facilities for victims were 'questionable to poor". A third judge, Keenan Johnson, said money spent on the temporary facility should have been used to restore the original courthouse. Advertisement He wrote: 'I have huge concerns that having vacated the courthouse it will now be allowed to deteriorate to such an extent that the feasibility of returning to it may be put in jeopardy.' Judge Johnson added that they were now 'stuck with the current totally unsatisfactory situation' of having only one courtroom. Asked about the correspondence, a spokesperson for the Courts Service said the old Roscommon courthouse had been closed by the OPW on health and safety grounds. 'Significant investment is required,' they said. 'Given the condition of the existing courthouse in Roscommon and the necessity to close it for health and safety reasons, the Courts Service took immediate steps to remedy the situation to ensure, firstly, that the health and safety of all court users was prioritised and secondly, to ensure that sittings continue to be facilitated in Roscommon Town. 'The Courts Service submission in respect of the forthcoming revised NDP [National Development Plan] includes Roscommon Courthouse.'
The Journal
a day ago
- Politics
- The Journal
Judge warned €1.5m spend on temporary courthouse could become the latest 'OPW disaster'
A JUDGE TOLD the Courts Service they were heading for an OPW style fiasco after spending €1.5m on a temporary courthouse. In a message to management, Judge James Faughnan lambasted a decision to provide just a single courtroom in Roscommon when two had been available in their old building. The judge said he was sure the Courts Service would not want a 'light shone' on their lack of foresight in providing sub-par accommodation at significant cost. Judge Faughnan said that with a general election looming and 'recent OPW disasters' over the Leinster House bike shelter and security hut, bad publicity was very likely. In an email last September, he said he would 'never dream' of going public but said the situation was likely to come to a head in 2025. Judge Faughnan said that when the temporary accommodation on the outskirts of Roscommon town was being planned, he specifically asked for provision of a second courtroom. He wrote: 'The Courts Service, while on notice of this, then spent over €1.5 million without providing a second courtroom. 'I can only imagine that if that got picked up by the media, there would be an awful lot of questions to answer.' He said the expenditure on the temporary accommodation would be 'laughable if it wasn't so serious.' In another message to court management last October, Judge Faughnan said the Courts Service had used up 'all the goodwill' extended to them by legal people working in Roscommon. He pleaded for a temporary second courtroom on site which he believed could be provided at very little cost. Advertisement 'It would lend itself to a timber frame type construction which could be erected speedily,' he wrote. He said the current situation was unsustainable and that a proposed solution to provide temporary facilities in Castlerea Prison was unlikely to work. Judge Faughnan wrote: 'I do not accept the works carried out in Castlerea to be beneficial as prior to the works, the facilities were Dickensian and have only regularised what was needed for many years.' The judge was one of three who wrote to the Courts Service outlining serious concerns over their workplace in County Roscommon. In another letter, Judge Kenneth Connolly said the old courthouse in Roscommon town had been shut down because of the 'very poor' conditions there. However, he said the new facility on the outskirts of the town had 'not performed' and was 'unsuitable as even a medium-term option.' Judge Connolly said there was little parking, nowhere nearby for jurors or the public to buy food or drink, and that facilities for victims were 'questionable to poor.' A third judge, Keenan Johnson, said money spent on the temporary facility should have been used to restore the original courthouse. He wrote: 'I have huge concerns that having vacated the courthouse it will now be allowed to deteriorate to such an extent that the feasibility of returning to it may be put in jeopardy.' Judge Johnson added that they were now 'stuck with the current totally unsatisfactory situation' of having only one courtroom. Asked about the correspondence, a spokesperson for the Courts Service said the old Roscommon courthouse had been closed by the OPW on health and safety grounds. 'Significant investment is required,' they said. 'Given the condition of the existing courthouse in Roscommon and the necessity to close it for health and safety reasons, the Courts Service took immediate steps to remedy the situation to ensure, firstly, that the health and safety of all court users was prioritised and secondly, to ensure that sittings continue to be facilitated in Roscommon Town. 'The Courts Service submission in respect of the forthcoming revised NDP [National Development Plan] includes Roscommon Courthouse.' Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. Learn More Support The Journal
Irish Times
a day ago
- Irish Times
Judge warned €1.5m spend on temporary courthouse could become latest in series of ‘OPW disasters'
A judge warned the Courts Service it was heading for an Office of Public Works (OPW) style disaster after spending €1.5 million on temporary court facilities in Co Roscommon . In a message to service management, Judge James Faughnan queried the decision to provide just one courtroom in Roscommon Town when two were available in the old building. The judge said he was sure the service would not want a 'light shone' on its lack of foresight in providing sub-par accommodation at a significant cost. Given the 'recent OPW disasters' over the Leinster House bike shelter and security hut , which cost €335,000 and €1.4 million respectively, bad publicity was very likely, Judge Faughnan wrote in an email last September. READ MORE Court sittings have been taking place at the former Fairyland Dance Hall, on the Racecourse Road outside Roscommon Town, since the town's courthouse was closed in late 2022 after falling into disrepair. The judge said he would 'never dream' of going public but that the situation was likely to come to a head. He said that when the temporary accommodation on the outskirts of Roscommon Town was being planned, he specifically asked that a second courtroom be provided. 'The Courts Service, while on notice of this, then spent over €1.5 million without providing a second courtroom,' he wrote. 'I can only imagine that if that got picked up by the media, there would be an awful lot of questions to answer.' He said the expenditure on the temporary accommodation would be 'laughable if it wasn't so serious'. In another message to court management last October, Judge Faughnan said the service had used up 'all the goodwill' extended to them by legal practitioners working in Co Roscommon. He pleaded for a temporary second courtroom on the site, which he believed could be provided at little cost. 'It would lend itself to a timber frame type construction which could be erected speedily,' he wrote. Judge Faughan was among three members of the bench who wrote to the Courts Service outlining serious concerns over their workplace in Co Roscommon. Judge Kenneth Connolly wrote saying he accepted that the old courthouse in Roscommon Town had been shut down because it was in a 'very poor' condition. The courthouse in Roscommon Town was closed in 2022. Photograph: Google Streetview However, he said the new facility had 'not performed' and was 'unsuitable as even a medium-term option'. He said there was little parking, nowhere nearby for jurors or the public to buy food or drink, and that facilities for victims were 'questionable to poor'. A third judge, Keenan Johnson, said the money spent on the temporary facility should have been used to restore the original courthouse. 'I have huge concerns that having vacated the courthouse it will now be allowed to deteriorate to such an extent that the feasibility of returning to it may be put in jeopardy.' He added that they were now 'stuck with the current totally unsatisfactory situation' of having only one courtroom. Asked about the correspondence, the Courts Service said the old Roscommon courthouse had been closed by the OPW on health and safety grounds and that 'significant investment' was required. A spokesperson said the service took 'immediate steps to remedy the situation to ensure, firstly, that the health and safety of all court users was prioritised and secondly, to ensure that sittings continue to be facilitated in Roscommon Town'. The Courts Service's submission in respect of the forthcoming revised National Development Plan includes a mention of Roscommon Courthouse, the spokesperson added.
Irish Times
2 days ago
- Politics
- Irish Times
Domestic violence register will not breach perpetrators' rights, Minister for Justice says
A new domestic violence disclosure scheme would not be 'incompatible' with the constitutional rights of perpetrators, Minister for Justice Jim O'Callaghan has said. Mr O'Callaghan said a new register, which he hopes to name Jennie's Law in memory of Jennifer Poole, who was murdered by her ex-partner, would be published and run by the Courts Service and based on convictions for violence and abuse against current and former partners. The scheme would publicise the details of those found guilty of sexual and domestic violence. This week The Irish Times reported on analysis by the Department of Justice in 2023 that warned a domestic violence disclosure scheme could expose women and girls to an 'unacceptable' risk of further violence and abuse. READ MORE Documents showed abusers would have to be 'informed in advance' that information about them was being shared, to meet their constitutional right to privacy and fair procedures, a legal obligation that could not be 'sidestepped'. This prompted fears that offering such an alert to perpetrators could 'trigger' abuse and violence. Speaking in the Dáil on Thursday, Mr O'Callaghan said he did not 'see anything controversial or incompatible with the rights of the individual in this proposal here'. [ Domestic violence disclosure scheme could expose victims to 'unacceptable' risk, department finds Opens in new window ] Those convicted and included on the register would have the right to apply to the court to have the judgment removed from the register after three years. Mr O'Callaghan said this recognised that 'rehabilitation' was an important part of the justice system. 'It is unquestionably the case that if people are convicted of serious criminal convictions, that can be publicised most nights of the week on our news. In our papers we read about individuals who are convicted of serious offences,' he said. 'However, it appears to be the case that that's done on a very arbitrary basis. And it can be the case that individuals are convicted of serious offences, but people don't get to hear about him because of the fact that there was no journalist in court at the time.' Setting out the details of the new domestic violence disclosure scheme, Mr O'Callaghan said anyone convicted of such offences would be named in a court judgment outlining their sentence. This judgment would be published under a domestic violence register published on the Courts Service website. 'I think we also need to reflect, when we're discussing this issue, upon the fact that justice in Ireland is required to be administered in public. If a person is convicted of a serious criminal offence in Ireland before the courts, that is a public conviction and the public are entitled to know about that conviction,' Mr O'Callaghan said. The sentencing court would have the discretion to decide if a perpetrator should be included on the register, and the victim's consent would also be required before their abuser was added. Mr O'Callaghan said he wanted the register to inform those whose partners could pose a risk to their safety, 'as was the case with the shocking and tragic death of Jennifer Poole'. Ms Poole was a 24-year-old mother of two who was murdered by her former partner, Gavin Murphy, in 2021. Ms Poole did not know that Murphy had a history of abusive behaviour, including a conviction for assaulting a former partner. Her family, who have led a campaign for a domestic violence register in her honour, maintain she might still be alive if she had known about Murphy's history.
BreakingNews.ie
5 days ago
- BreakingNews.ie
Courts Service deals with a rise in new sexual offences cases
The Courts Service dealt with an increase in new sexual offences, as well as a rise in public order and assault cases last year. Meanwhile, cases involving larceny, robbery and fraud showed a 15.3 per cent increase year-on-year. Advertisement The figures are contained in the Courts Service's 2024 annual report which was presented to Justice Minister Jim O'Callaghan on Monday. When compared to 2023, road traffic offences showed an increase of 8.6 per cent in 2024, although this was an 18 per cent reduction over six years. Public order and assault cases showed an increase of 9.6 per cent year-on-year, while new sexual offences rose by 13.67 per cent. There was a 45 per cent increase in applications for supervision and care orders for children over two years. Advertisement The report says that 62 per cent of the 434 sentences handed down for rape, including attempted rape, ranged from 10 years to life imprisonment. Drugs cases in the district courts reduced by 16.5 per cent over six years. Meanwhile, some 390,158 new criminal matters were presented to the courts last year, representing an increase of 6.3 per cent on 2023. A total of 356,045 cases were finalised, an increase of 5.2 per cent year-on-year. Advertisement The number of new offences of more serious crime increased from 19,569 offences in 2023 to 22,822 in 2024. Likewise, at district court level, the numbers of less serious cases coming to court increased by 6.5 per cent up to 350,852. In total, the district court received 25,270 new applications for protections under domestic violence legislation last year – roughly the same as 2023. A new Planning and Environment Court division of the High Court was formally launched in December 2023, completing its first full year in 2024. Advertisement This court deals with cases involving commercial planning and strategic infrastructure and will replace those that were previously sent to the Strategic Infrastructure list. Compared to the 108 cases in the Strategic Infrastructure list from 2023, the number of planning and environment cases increased 96 per cent to 241. Courts Service chief executive Angela Denning said that new legislation impacts could provide challenges for the system, staff, judiciary and legal practitioners. 'Such complex legislation is particularly challenging when the demand is strong from commencement, for example with the Civil Orders against Relevant Conduct – commonly known as stalking or restraining orders – introduced in September 2024.' Advertisement In the first four months of operations, district courts saw 314 applications for restraining orders. From that, 133 full restraining orders were granted, while 107 interim orders were granted. The chairwoman of the board of the Courts Service, Ms Justice Elizabeth Dunne, said: 'This report reflects an ever-busy time for the courts. 'It gives a snapshot of the many areas of activities in many areas, showing improvements in the way matters are dealt with, together with changes in some areas of work such as reductions in some case types and increases in others on a year-on-year basis.' She said: 'The courts deal with whatever matters are presented to them, and it is very much a reflection each year of what is happening in society: what it is people are experiencing who have to take an action, respond to one, or who come before the courts as witnesses, victims and accused in criminal proceedings.' There were 12,989 new personal injury cases last year across the courts in 2024, down from 13,434 in 2023. There was a reduction in the amounts awarded, down from €256 million to €135 million in the High Court. At circuit level, awards dropped from €16 million to under €13 million, while district court awards dropped from €2.2 million to €1.5 million. In total, the level of awards for personal injury reduced across the courts by more than 45 per cent last year compared to 2023.
