Court Accommodation
Seanad Éireann — 2025-09-30
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Manus Boyle (FG), Nominated by the Taoiseach

I want to raise the issue of the closure of the courthouse in Donegal town. The courthouse is located in Tirconaill Street and is a building of significant architectural and historical importance dating back to the 19th century. No warning was given about this closure. A letter was simply sent to a businessman and nobody was informed. The Donegal people are very concerned that the building could be closed permanently. I am asking for the Minister for justice to clarify a few things.
Are there plans to refurbish and reopen the courthouse? What assessments have been carried out regarding the building's condition and the future of the courthouse? Is there funding in place to preserve this important civic building? This issue is not about infrastructure; it is about maintaining the presence of justice in our community and respecting the heritage of Donegal town. I hope the Minister of State can clarify this issue. Donegal town has lost so much in the past year, including the Donegal Education Support Centre, DESC. We cannot allow the same to happen to the courthouse.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/seanad/2025-09-30/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:54:09+00:00
Sitting date: 2025-09-30