I condemn the lack of proper facilities for persons with mobility difficulties at the new district and family courthouse at Old Model School on Anglesea Street, Cork. The Access Group in Cork, an umbrella organisation representing 18 associations for the disabled, is extremely disappointed. It made a submission to a Fianna Fáil Minister in 1993 and a further one before the building commenced in 1994 offering to co-operate and assist in the planning of the necessary facilities at no charge. As it is not a specialist group it called in the NRB. It met officials in the Department of Justice in May 1995. A solicitor who is confined to a wheelchair was not allowed to attend the meeting but met the representatives of the NRB on the footpath outside the courthouse. That is regrettable.
I understand the NRB made 14 recommendations in its submission which was presented to the Department of Justice. Unfortunately there was no positive response to any of them. We understood the renovations would cost £1 million. Recently the Minister for Justice indicated that it would cost £2 million and I am sure that matter will be examined by the Committee of Public Accounts.
It is important to outline the problems experienced by those with mobility difficulties. The entrance doors are extremely difficult to open to allow safe and independent use by the visually impaired, those who are frail and those in wheelchairs. There is no lift to the solicitors' room on the first floor and to the public offices. It is significant that a solicitor who uses the courthouse on a regular basis is in a wheelchair and must be lifted to the second floor. Two pairs of double doors have been installed and there is a small lobby which makes access to the court rooms practically impossible. The entrance steps are extremely steep. No hand rails are provided. There is an open mesh ramp and the frail or infirm could catch the heels of their shoes in it. The witness box is not wheelchair accessible. One would expect the Department to give an example in such cases given that people with disability will use the courthouse.
The president of the Law Society and the secretary of the Bar Council have come out openly in support of the Access group. It is strange that cognisance was not taken of that. The letter of a person who is in a wheelchair reads as follows:
I spent all night last night wondering how on earth such unnecessary and thoughtless mistakes could be made. The N.R.B. is a Gov. funded Body employed to give advice and recommendations to builders, architects, planners, etc. Yet their advice was not sought and when it was given it was not acknowledged. We now have a Commission on the Status of People with Disabilities, an E.U.-Gov. funded Body spending thousands of £s researching what is required to make life accessible in all ways for those with disabilities. If the Gov. Depts will not take the advice offered to them by the N.R.B. then why on earth are they spending all this money on the Commission? WHO will listen to them at the end of the day? Who will listen to me and my problems?
That is a cry from the heart. I ask the Minister to take this in hand and ensure the courthouse is accessible to people with a disability.
