The Courts Service recently announced that with effect from 1 November, the court sittings will be transferred from Carrick-on-Suir and Cashel to Clonmel. The decision came completely out of the blue and without any local consultation whatsoever. There appears to be a policy of stripping towns and local communities of locally-based services. Youghal is also to lose its court service and, of course, Carrick-on-Suir has already lost its district hospital, which is a serious blow to the town and the local community.

The Courts Service has failed in its duty to properly maintain the courthouses in Carrick-on-Suir and Cashel, and it appears it is now using this failure to transfer the services from these towns. I ask that the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice intervene with the Courts Service and stop these transfers, and make sure that the Courts Service properly maintains the courthouses in these towns.

I thank Deputy Healy very much for raising the matter. When a court sitting changes in a town, it is not just the convenience for people in terms of accessing the court; it is the general footfall that can come into a town associated with a court sitting. I see that in my county of Wicklow as well. I will ask the Minister for Justice to get an update and to discuss this matter with the Courts Service with regard to Carrick-on-Suir and Cashel and why the sittings are moving to Clonmel and to revert to the Deputy with an update.