Courts in Galway City will have to be moved to a new, more secure facility where members of the public will be prevented from passing drugs to prisoners, Judge Mary Fahy indicated at Galway District Court this week.

The judge said it was a pity that the court would have to be moved from the lovely courthouse building because but it could not accommodate the security measures required for the type of people now frequenting the courts who see nothing wrong with passing illegal substances to prisoners in handshakes and even kisses.

"The situation here it that there should be no contact between prisoners and other people because illegal substances are being passed in the courthouse and outside the courthouse. We will be moving out of this lovely courthouse. There are different clients now and they do not think anything of passing drugs in handshakes and even kisses," the judge said.

Judge Fahy indicated that the move to a new building had been "on the long finger" for some time, but, she said, that once a suitable site was found a new courthouse would be built where security measures would be in place which would change the way in which the courts in Galway work for good. She said people were now coming to the courts in Galway with substances for their friends who were in custody. "I know it's happening. I saw this 15 years ago in Dublin and now it's happening here. Soon there will be a tunnel to bring the prisoners in and out of court when a new site for a new building is located.

"I know it's on the 'long finger' at present but something has to be done as the present courtroom does not have the facilities needed for 100 per cent security.

"We will be losing something; that casualness that we were used to here in Galway, and it will be like Dublin with high security. We will just go the same way as the other courts and there will be no contact with prisoners. Even solicitors will have to ask permission to speak to their clients," Judge Fahy said.

The judge made her comments while dealing with an assault case where a handcuffed prisoner head butted a Garda Sergeant as he was bringing him to holding cells in the courthouse.