Judge criticises Athlone court office closure plan

Athlone's district court judge, Seamus Hughes, has criticised a plan to permanently close the court's public office in the town.

Judge Hughes said the idea of closing down a court office in a town the size of Athlone was "difficult to understand" and he felt poorer communities would be disproportionately affected as they tend to have more dealings with court services.

The proposal would result in Athlone's district court sittings being staffed by Mullingar-based employees, and it would have major implications for the accessing and issuing of summonses and other court documents.

It was featured on the front page of last week's Westmeath Independent, and Judge Seamus Hughes raised it during the sitting of Athlone District Court the same day.

He asked when the court office was due to close down. "We're hoping never," replied solicitor Mark Cooney, but a member of the courts staff said they were told the closure was likely to happen in January.

"Well, I - or the solicitor profession - have not been consulted in any fashion about this. It would be nice if they took on board our views," said the judge.

"The Gardai weren't consulted either, judge," added Sergeant Sandra Keane.

"I have been in and out of courts for the last 40 years and, wearing an economic hat, I cannot understand how it would make any savings to close down an office like this," said Judge Hughes.

"If anything, it would be a huge deterioration in the service provided to the public. Courts mainly deal with the lower socio-economic strands of society, and they are people who often don't have the money for buses to Mullingar and things like that."

He said the closure wouldn't affect him directly but he described the lack of consultation around it as "appalling".

"You'd think it would be common decency and manners to consult with the primary users of the court."

Referring to Minister of State Kevin 'Boxer' Moran, he said, "I can't be political, but I would hope that local political representatives, including the Minister of State whose office is next to here, would have a view on this... it has to be reversed.

"Closing down an office in a town the size of Athlone is just so difficult to understand,” Judge Hughes concluded.