The Courts Service has described comments made by a District Court Judge as gratuitous and demoralising.
The service was responding to the remarks made by Judge John Neilan during a court sitting in Co Offaly.
In a statement last night, the Courts Service said staff in Judge Neilan's area had now sought transfers to other offices, and added that his reported reference in court to 'lazy' staff members was simply unacceptable and denigrating.
The district court judge lashed out at the Courts Service during a late sitting in Tullamore ten days ago.
Adjourning the court at 6pm, Judge Neilan said he would need two sittings a week to deal with the list of prosecutions in front of him and described the Courts Service as totally incompetent.
Criticising Courts Service CEO PJ Fitzpatrick, Judge Neilan asked if anybody in the service had any modicum of intelligence.
Last night the Courts Service responded with an unprecedented level of criticism of the Judge.
In a statement the service said courts nationwide finish between 4pm and 5pm.
Court staff had family childcare and domestic commitments and some had already sought transfers from Judge Neilan's district.
The service said the judge's reported reference to hard working staff as lazy was simply unacceptable, denigrating, gratuitous and very demoralising.
Read the full Courts Service statement
