YOUNGSTERS are taking bus rides into town to specifically see what is going on in and around the District Courthouse, Cllr Orla McLoughlin told City Council.
“It’s great fun for them, better than going to the library or the cinema and hilarious when they see people being shuttled into Paddy Wagons, but we must get the circus aspect played down”.
The Labour councillor was commenting on a notice of motion submitted by Cllr Cormac Hurley, which read: “That Limerick City Council, as a matter or urgency, contact the Minister for Justice and the Irish Prison Service to have the District Court removed from its present location without further delay”.
Cllr Hurley claimed that people passing by the courthouse on their way into City Hall, have “to run the gauntlet to go in and do their business.
“There’s faction fighting constantly going on – even a sword fight recently – you could hardly believe what’s going on. It’s terrible having the courthouse in this location, right next to City Hall – it’s very bad for the image of the city. I recently saw a girl in distress – she was crying and had been told by her friend – “get out of here or you will be shot.
“I think the situation is awful – you try to do something about wrong as you go through life, and something must be done about this issue that almost daily, sees people shouting and roaring awful things, and people, some of them visitors to the city, going into St Mary’s Cathedral or taking a walk, can’t believe their eyes”.
Mayor Kevin Kiely, who some week ago, told the Limerick Post that he is confident the District Court will shortly be relocated in the Post Office building on Henry Street, said:
“There have been talks between the Court Services, the Board of Works and the Department of Justice on this”.
The situation, according to Cllr Joe Leddin, is deplorable.
“A number of individuals approached me here in City Hall, wanting to know where the toilets are – we will have to go into fifth gear, and we should approach the Chief Justice, John Murray, to get this sorted, but meantime, we should review security and have the area in front of City Hall cleaned more frequently”.
Cllr Maurice Quinlivan intervened to say the problem is to find a suitable location for the courthouse.
“Henry Street is not great but there are courts next to city halls in the United States and other countries – maybe, we could get the Garda Siochana to park garda cars outside both buildings all the time and also maybe, we should keep the District Court for civil cases only”.
Cllr Pat Kennedy said:
“Law and order are the responsibility of the Garda Siochana but the Commissioner must do more – law and order has to be enforced at this location, as what is happening there is horrendous”.
