Mr. Brendan Ryan:

Where we have no further use for buildings, we hand them back to the public either to the local authorities, which were responsible for their management prior to 1999, or to the Office of Public Works, which may have some work for them in the public area. To date, we have returned seven buildings to local authorities. These have been in Drumkeeran in County Leitrim, Ballinrobe and Swinford in County Mayo, Castlecomer and Thomastown in County Kilkenny and Ballyhaunis. We also returned Kilmainham courthouse which is now part of the jail experience. There are only three vested properties for which we have no current use, namely Kanturk, Ballinmore and Birr. We have contacted the local authorities to see if they have an interest in them and we have also been in contact with the Office of Public Works. The Courts Service board policy is that we give them back for public use free of charge. If the local authorities or the Office of Public Works do not want them, then the policy is to put them on the open market for sale, but we have not gone that far yet.