A JUDGE at Tullamore District Court has criticised changes in the district boundaries and court calendar.
"Whoever believes that plan is going to work knows nothing about the workings of the District Court," Judge John Neilan said.
"It is not possible, not feasible" that all the business of the court could be accommodated in one extra day a month per annum. Tullamore District Court would have only 12 listed days a year, the judge said.
The realignment of the courts will see Granard District Court amalgamated into Longford and Castlepollard and Killucan District Courts integrated into Mullingar.
"An Irish solution to an Irish problem" is how Judge Neilan described the realignment of the courts, which he called "the most recent turf-burning rocket to be launched into space".
He said that the public knew "to the cent" what judges earned, but that bringing judges from Cork or Limerick to extra hearings occurred at additional "enormous expense".
"The scheme of arrangements now in place by statutory arrangement is going to turn the whole of district number nine into a whole disaster," said Judge Neilan, who has repeatedly called for two sittings a week in Tullamore and other district courts.
He criticised the Courts Service, which said it had invited him to consultations.
"They didn't consult me. They just decided." He said people were simply being told "what was good for you".
The Garda confirmed that it too had not been consulted.
Judge Neilan said the first opportunity to bring about meaningful change in the district system since 1961 had been wasted.
"The experience in the last 10 years in trying to bring a competent service to the people of Ireland is a dismal failure."