Waterford Labour Deputy, Brian O'Shea has been informed by Martin Mansergh T.D., Minister of State at the Department of Finance that the Commissioners of Public Works acting on behalf of the Courts Services have appointed an architect for the proposed extension to Waterford Courthouse.

Consultations have already taken place with local Court users and it is expected that plans will be prepared by the end of the year. This would enable further consultations to take place with the Courts staff, Judiciary and local Court users, with a view to finalising a brief of requirements. Tender documentations will then be prepared.

Deputy O'Shea has also been in contact with Brendan R. Ryan, Chief Executive Officer, Courts Service in relation to his concerns of sittings of the High Court in Waterford.

Mr. Ryan stated that the position with regard to High Court sittings in Waterford is that two High Court Judges travel to Waterford for two sessions of two weeks each year to try personal injury actions.

When the High Court sits in provincial venues it traditionally takes precedence over normal sittings of the Circuit and District Courts which are suspended for the duration of the High Court session. This does not have any impact on Circuit and District Courts in most locations but Waterford courthouse has only two courtrooms. Consequently the High Court sittings displace all the business of the local Circuit and District Courts. In recent years, with the increase in the volume of the work in those courts, this has had a detrimental effect on the administration of justice in the Waterford area, especially the District Court where most of the cases are criminal prosecutions.

In an effort to resolve this issue and maintain a High Court presence in Waterford pending the refurbishment of the Waterford courthouse, the Courts Service explored the availability of alternative locations for Court sittings in Waterford. Temporary court rooms are rarely suitable for criminal trials, and so an alternative venue for the High Court was sought. All possibilities, including arranging sittings in the City Council Chamber were investigated. However, largely because the High Court requires two court rooms for its personal injury list, no suitable alternative venue for the High Curt could be obtained in Waterford. We are in ongoing discussions with the City Council about the use of the Council Chamber for Circuit Court Civil business. In these circumstances, the previous High Court President, the Hon. Mr. Justice Johnson, directed that the matter be brought to the attention of the Superior Court Rules Committee. This matter was considered by the Rules Committee and Order 36 of the Rules of the Superior Courts has been amended. Under Order 36 as amended practitioners representing parties who reside in Kilkenny, Carlow, Waterford, Tipperary, Offaly, Laois and Wexford will continue to have the option of setting cases down for trial in Kilkenny as an alternative to having their trial in Dublin. Once Waterford courthouse has been refurbished and the number of courtrooms increased, the matter will of course be reviewed in consultation with local practitioners and other stakeholders.

Deputy O'Shea has put down a further Parliamentary Question to Minister Mansergh seeking that the plans for the proposed extension to Waterford Courthouse will be provided with the greatest possible speed.