The Courts Service has confirmed that one of two hearing loop systems operating in the Cork Courthouse complex has been turned off, following concerns raised by legal practitioners.
A spokesperson said it will remain off in the future unless specifically asked for it to be used.
This follows an incident on Wednesday when a solicitor using a hearing device to better access court proceedings found that when he left the courtroom on the fourth floor, he could hear dialogue coming from rooms used by solicitors and barristers on the floor below.
The building, which opened in 2018, operates two loop induction hearing systems - one an infrared system in the courtrooms which works on a line of sight only.
The other is a standard hearing loop system operating in the building in general.
Both are in use in many of the country's newer courthouses, according to the Courts Service and has been in place in the Cork Courthouse since the building opened in 2018.
In a statement this afternoon, the Courts Service said: "The solicitor who had their hearing aid set to the hearing loop system in the courtroom left the courtroom where upon the infrared system stopped working (as designed) and his hearing aid (a device provided by the Court Services and worn with a neck lanyard) instead picked up the 'other' looped system on the floor directly beneath him.
"When we were informed of this, we turned off the system.
"It will remain turned off in future unless we are specifically asked for it to be used".
