Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)

I have allocated €4.1 million.

Work is under way to provide as a priority a new purpose-built facility for the Forensic Science Laboratory. Deputies will be aware that the site is located at the Backweston Complex in Kildare adjacent to the State Laboratory and to the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food's Agrilabs. This world-class state-of-the-art facility is a major public investment and will facilitate the effective operation of the criminal justice system - including the DNA database - for many generations to come.

The Office of Public Works is managing the delivery of the project on behalf of my Department, and I am advised that a Part 9 planning application for the new facility is currently with Kildare County Council. It is expected that the tender for construction phase will commence in the coming months with a view to work starting on the site around the end of the year.

I have kept a close eye on the project, and the OPW has the resources in its current budget to begin it once the tenders come through.

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