Drogheda and District Chamber of Commerce has re-affirmed their contention that the current Drogheda Court House location on Dyer Street, in a Town Centre Retail environment is totally unacceptable on an on-going basis.

This view was expressed last year by Chamber Retail Representative Jim Corcoran who condemned the recent stand-off between Gardai and a group of 6 prisoners who barricaded themselves into a holding area in the court house. A negotiator had to be called in to deal with the issue and accordingly the town centre of Drogheda was closed down by Armed Gardai and the Prison Service Riot Squad for a number of hours.

“We have been in dispute with the Gardai and indeed the Courts Service about the on-going difficulties presented by the location of the Drogheda Court House in the Retail Town Centre of Drogheda, and cannot allow this to continue any longer,” said Mr. Corcoran, whose family have been trading on Dyer Street since 1939. “The anti-social behaviour, on street traffic congestion, and lack of concern for the ordinary citizens and business people of this town is not acceptable and the Gardai and the Court Service must be held to account. Our customers, visitors and our own staff have been bullied, harassed and abused on a weekly basis. The angst which is created by the presence of the court and all that comes with it is detrimental to every business in Drogheda Town Centre.”

President of Drogheda and District Chamber of Commerce Mr. Padraic Kierans was unequivocal in his assessment of the situation., “It is difficult to contemplate that anyone would grant planning permission for a court house in a busy Retail area, and this is now further compounded by issue after issue, caused be the inadequate on-street and in –court facilities. We firmly believe that time is up for the Court House in its current location, and will be maintaining this issue until such time as it is removed from its anti-business location.”

There was widespread disbelief amongst retailers that such an event could be allowed to happen, and that businesses were expected to just get on with it, and accept that the Gardai and the Prison Service were effectively closing down their businesses for the afternoon.

Mr. Kierans added “it is a danger to the people of Drogheda in its current location, and it is closing down businesses on that street. Who is going to compensate the Retailers for their loss of earnings during the time of the siege? Things are bad enough, and Drogheda citizens and Businesses have had enough of this.”

“With so much positivity being generated by the ‘Local Heroes – A town fights back campaign’, it is very disheartening to have to deal with issues like this, when everyone knows that Dyer St.,  is not a viable court location, and the Authorities involved need to get their heads round that fact, and make alternate plans for a viable location .”