MINISTER TO OPEN FERMOY COURTHOUSE

Brian Lenihan, the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, will perform the official re-opening of the Fermoy Courthouse at 12 noon on Monday next, December 17. Circuit Court judge Patrick Moran will represent the board of the Court Services at the opening.

It is expected that the minister, along with newly appointed Garda Commissioner Fachtna Murphy, will also visit Fermoy garda station.

At this month’s Fermoy Town Council meeting Cllr John Murphy, following a motion by Cllr Tadhg O’Donovan, suggested that the minister should be invited to personally view the Fermoy garda station while on his visit to Fermoy, so that he can see for himself the terrible conditions the 80 plus staff have had to endure over the past 10 years or more. It is believed the minister and his colleagues have already been circulated with a report from the Fermoy gardai, listing the various deficiencies of the building and its lack of facilities.

Last week Deputy Sean Sherlock informed The Avondhu that a timeline is being sought on plans for the refurbishment of the station, and that he had personally written to Garda Commissioner Fachtna Murphy seeking details of the proposed refurbishment, and clarification on when work is set to begin.

His letter follows information received from Minister Lenihan, that the garda authorities have informed him that Fermoy garda station is to be refurbished. Working conditions at the station have become so cramped that senior officers have been forced to work from neighbouring towns, while its 60 gardai have access to just two showers and four toilets.

Deputy Sherlock said he also sought clarification from the Justice Minister as to whether Fermoy is to lose its headquarters to Mallow. It is believed that this will be top of the town representatives list of questions to the minister on Monday. However, many gardai at Fermoy have now resigned themselves to the fact that the headquarters will go to Mallow.

“I am told that a brief of requirements for Mallow garda station is being drawn up and will be forwarded to the Office of Public Works which has overall responsibility for garda buildings”, said Deputy Sherlock.

“It was further confirmed to me that land adjoining the Mallow station is state owned. Beyond that we are still in the dark but I am also pursuing this matter with the garda authorities as I know it is a cause of concern in Fermoy”.

 

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