It has been over two years since the four District Courts at Dunfanaghy, Falcarragh, Bunbeg and Dungloe were abolished. Since then, District Court business for these areas has been carried out in Letterkenny and Glenties, to the great inconvenience of both practitioners and litigants alike. There is now only one District Court in the western seaboard of County Donegal, in Glenties. Legal services in this area are effectively marginalised. A population of some 15,000 people have to travel between 30 and 40 miles to avail of the services of a District Court.
Since the foundation of the State and before, there has always been a District Court in Bunbeg, the heart of the Donegal gaeltacht. The decision in January 1997 to abolish the court at Bunbeg means that residents of Gweedore, with District Court business, are obliged to travel to Glenties, which is a distance in excess of 30 miles over one of the most difficult roads in the county. Public transport between Gweedore and Glenties is almost non-existent. This makes it inconvenient and more expensive for people to travel. As a result, legal costs have risen, as more time is spent travelling to various courts at which cases are heard.
The same is true of Dungloe and Rosses. The long established District Court in Dungloe was closed in January 1997 and never reopened. The people of these areas have to travel and are subject to the same inconvenience and expense. The situation in Falcarragh and Dunfanaghy is just as critical. Both these courts were closed in January 1997 and people now have to travel to Letterkenny which is over 30 miles from Falcarragh and 23 miles from Dunfanaghy. At least one of these courts should be immediately reopened.
To put the matter in a national context, how would litigants in Dublin accept having to travel to Dundalk, Kildare or Navan to appear at District Court or how would people in these areas accept having to travel to Dublin? The Minister, in addition to representing a rural constituency, is a legal practitioner of wide experience. Would it be acceptable in Kerry for people to travel to Limerick, or from Tralee to Killarney, for a District Court hearing?
The District Court situation in west Donegal would not be tolerated or accepted in any other part of the country, particularly on the east coast. A whole region has been marginalised as far as access to the District Courts is concerned. After two years, I ask the Minister to restore these essential court services in west Donegal, in Bunbeg, Falcarragh, Dungloe and Dunfanaghy. A long tradition has been broken and I ask the Minister to have these facilities re-established as soon as possible.
Is mór an náire é, cé go bhfuil ceann de na Gaeltachtaí is mó sa tír i dTír Chonaill, nach bhfuil cúirt cheantair nó dúiche suite ann faoi láthair. Ba mhaith liom go dtabharfadh an tAire aire speisialta do sin.