Tuam courthouse ‘not appropriate’ for ongoing use
Solicitors' rep calls for new facility
By Dara Bradley
The President of the Galway Solicitors Bar Association has highlighted the need for new dedicated courthouses in Galway City and Tuam.
Solicitor Martina Moran, President of GSBA which represents more than 400 solicitors in Co Galway, said the existing courthouse in Galway was “not fit for the 21st century”, and the current court facility in Tuam was “not appropriate”.
Ms Moran of Gearoid Geraghty and Co Solicitors said the temporary building on Weir Road in Tuam was not adequate.
“It was only ever intended to be a temporary facility. It’s not sufficient for the work that goes on there. Tuam is a busy court for crime, and it’s a busy court for civil and family.
“You don’t have consultation rooms in Tuam; the set-up isn’t appropriate for a courthouse. There’s nowhere to have a private consultation with a client. You’re bringing them outside if you want to have a chat. For criminal, you’d have told the client what’s happening in advance. But for family law, everyone just piles into one room and it’s not appropriate,” she said.
The Courts Service indicated a new courthouse for Tuam was not a priority. “The provision of improved court facilities in Tuam has been recognised in previous Courts Service capital planning. While the project is not specifically referenced in the current National Development Plan Review 2025 or Justice Sectoral Investment Plan, court accommodation needs in Tuam remain part of the Courts Service's ongoing strategic planning considerations,” a spokesperson said.
Ms Moran also said it was “a full-blown failure” that a new courthouse hasn’t been provided in Galway City in the past decade.
“The existing facility doesn’t meet the standards that are required. We need a modern facility. It shouldn’t be a project that is on the long finger,” she said.
Discussions about locating a new court at sites on Dyke Road and Newtownsmith, close to the existing courthouse, have come to nothing in recent years.