The Department of Heritage is conducting of a review of the courthouse in Tralee.
Kerry Sinn Féin TD and solicitor Pa Daly is welcoming the news, saying the Ashe Street building has been neglected in recent years.
Tralee Courthouse, which was constructed in the 1830s, fell into such disrepair in the 1960s that it had to be vacated. It last received a substantial upgrade in 1981.
Deputy Pa Daly says, while the refusal to invest in the building has been ongoing, this has recently accelerated with the moving of jury cases to Limerick. He says the only investment in Tralee’s court over the past 40 years has been a lick of paint and a kitchen in the judge's chamber.
The Sinn Féin TD says plans for wheelchair access, which were highlighted by Radio Kerry, have gone no further than the wall of the lobby in the courthouse. He adds everybody accepts there’s a need for an improved court building, but the correct decision and the overall good of the town and town centre must be prioritised.
The review of the court will be given to the Office of Public Works and the Courts Service.
