The Central Criminal Court is to sit for the first time outside of Dublin tomorrow following the relocation of some murder trials to Limerick Courthouse.
The initiative, prompted by an order of the President of the High Court, is aimed at clearing a backlog of murder trials, where the accused are from Limerick and waiting to be heard before the Central Criminal Court.
As well as helping to facilitate earlier court hearings, the move will minimise inconvenience to gardaí, witnesses and victims who are due to attend the trials.
Two murder trials have been listed for the court, which is due to conduct hearings until the end of the month, when the legal holidays begin, before resuming in November.
Concern had been expressed by the Garda to the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform about the likely cost implications of holding the trials in Dublin.
As well as paying travel and subsistence allowances, the Garda would have had to recruit cover for officers travelling to the capital, thereby adding to overtime costs.
Speaking last May at the reopening of Limerick Circuit Courthouse, which had undergone a €10 million refurbishment, Mr McDowell said: "To conduct these trials in Limerick will lead to less cost, less inconvenience for civil witnesses and, most important of all, result in gardaí having to spend a much lesser amount of time away from their normal policing duties."
Concern at the extent of criminal activity in Limerick reached a peak in May following the murder of Mr Robert Fitzgerald (23) at Moyross, and the shooting and abduction of a number of other young men.
Last week, four men charged with the murder of Mr Kieran Keane (36) on January 29th last at Drombana, outside Limerick city, and with the attempted murder of his nephew, Mr Owen Treacy, on the same date, were further remanded in custody at Limerick District Court. A fifth man was also charged with the murder at a separate hearing of the court.
The book of evidence relating to the case was said to be substantial, containing 720 statements and a 500-page report.
