Closed Kilkenny squash court plea raised in Dáil

The plea to reopen the squash court at James Stephens Barracks has been raised in the Dáíl.

‘Don’t let this be the end’ - plea to reopen Kilkenny Squash Club facilities

Deputy Kathleen Funchion submitted the Dail question, appealing for the reopening as there are no other squash courts in the area and members of the public, along with army personnel, have played there since the late 1960s.

As reported in the Kilkenny People last week, the courts have been closed since the start of the Covid lockdown and, Deputy Funchion said in her Dáil question, Kilkenny Squash club members “are seeing no progress in getting them reopened.”

In a written reply, Minister for Defence, Micheál Martin, said he was advised the building will require considerable remediation works. “I am sure the Deputy will understand that safety concerns must always take precedence ahead of the recommencement of such usage, on a formal basis.

“The matter of the remediation works is under consideration by my department, having regards to the existing and competing demands on the building programme.”