DEPUTY CONLAN RAISES ‘BLAYNEY COURTHOUSE “SCANDAL”

By PATSY McARDLE

CAVAN/MONAGHAN Fine Gael Dail deputy Sean Conlan has taken up the cudgels this week against Monaghan County Council and the powers-that-be at local authority level over the ‘scandal’ of the permitted ongoing deterioration of Castleblayney Courthouse and Markethouse building which is a key landmark in the mid-Monaghan town.

Deputy Conlan’s statement came in a week in which the Minister for Justice and Equality, Frances Fitzgerald welcomed public- private partnership for development of seven new or upgraded courthouses, elsewhere in the country.

The Castleblayney courthouse is however no longer classified as a court building, since the transfer of District Court sittings for the area to Carrickmacross.

Minister Fitzgerald said the latest public-private partnership   project includes four new courthouses to be built,   in Drogheda, Letterkenny, Limerick, and Wexford, as well as substantial refurbishment, and extension works to existing courthouses in Cork, Mullingar, and Waterford.

Deputy Conlan called yesterday on Monaghan County Council to take immediate action in respect of the deteriorating Castleblayney building.

He revealed he had raised a series of Parliamentary Questions in Dail Eireann in relation to the Blayney markethouse/ courthouse premises and had written to the County Chief Executive Mr. Eugene Cummins calling on the Council to take “immediate action to ensure the future viability of the building, situated at Market Square in the town”.

Deputy Conlan said he had also contacted the Minister for Local Government. Mr. Alan Kelly TD as the Minister for the Department with responsibility for the ‘parenting’ of Monaghan County Council.

Deputy Conlan claimed that the Council over the years had shown a blatant disregard for the Planning and Development Acts which provided for the safeguarding of protected structures of architectural heritage.

He said: “…