Tipperary judge describes keeping prisoners in vans as 'totally unacceptable'

A Tipperary judge has described the practice of keeping prisoners attending her court in prison vans as "totally unacceptable"

Judge Elizabeth MacGrath made her comments at Nenagh District Court where she was remarking on the practice of holding prisoners due before her in vans.

Judge MacGrath said she had difficulty" with prisoners being taken out of vans and brought into the courtroom where they could be seated.

"What was totally unacceptable was to have them locked up in small vans for hours on end until their cases were ready to be called," she said.

Judge MacGrath stated them from now on, she wanted them brought into the courtroom when they arrived if there were no facilities to hold them other than in prison vans.

She warned that if the situation were not resolved to her satisfaction, she "might have to take her complaint somewhere else".