Four Courts Doors

The Customs House Portico

The Customs House Portico Originally uploaded by Editor_Tupp. The OPW cite the Customs House Portico railings as the example of what they are trying to do to the Front Portico of the Four Courts. I thought I'd show readers what that Customs House portico looks like.

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Sit Down and Be Counted

Irish Seal It isn't often you're thinking about podcasting and stumble on a reference to your own grandfather. But that's what happened today when I was bumped towards Richard Develan's site to listen to his trial "Saturday View"-style podcast, Sunday Brunch. I'd listened to it, and thought it a little too slow, a little too safe and not focused enough on Ireland, but not a bad start.

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Courts Service justification for Access Restrictions

Back in October, I wrote to the Courts Service asking for them to justify the decision to restrict access to the Four Courts buildings. Mostly this kind of request is filed in the folder for the letters written in purple crayon. But I cited Section 18 of the FOI Acts, which has the happy effect of placing a statutory duty on the state body to respond to my request.

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Bar Council Statement on Access Restrictions

Following strong representations from the Bar Council to the Judiciary and the Courts Service, the latter has scaled down substantially the arrangements for practitioners put in place by them at the beginning of term. The Bar Council has made known its total opposition to the pod system and the restrictions on the issue of security cards to members' secretaries.

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Bar Council Slams Court Access Restrictions

A touch of Tabloid in that heading, but the compression was needed. Basically, in their latest newsletter to barristers, the Bar Council of Ireland has said that the restrictions on access to the Four Courts complex, introduced on security grounds, are unacceptable. They say that they have conveyed the very strong negative reaction to the 'pod' systems of access from their members to the Courts Service.

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OPW: No Decision Made

I spoke to the EO I've been dealing with in the OPW today. He confirmed that no decision had been made regarding the proposed changes to the portico of the Four Courts, including installing railings across the entrance to close them off. This is contrary to the maps issued by the Courts Service recently in relation to changes in the security arrangements at the Four Courts.

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OPW Chasing

I really oughtn't have to chase what has happened to the objection lodged back in June like this. I'll be sending this tomorrow. Principal OfficerProperty Maintenance DivisionOPW 51 St Stephen’s GreenDublin 2Re: Objection lodged to the proposed alterations to the portico of the Four Courts Your Ref: A473/66/6Dear Sirs,I write regarding the above.

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