Paudie Coffey (Waterford, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

On behalf of the Minister for Justice and Equality, I thank the Deputy for raising the matter. The Minister appreciates the Deputy's interest in the redevelopment of Wicklow courthouse.

As the Deputy may be aware, under the provisions of the Courts Service Act 1998, management of the courts is the responsibility of the Courts Service. The Act provides that the Courts Service is independent in the performance of its functions, which include the provision, maintenance and management of court buildings, and the Minister has no role in the matter. The Deputy will be aware that Wicklow courthouse has been closed for a number of years for health and safety reasons due to the poor condition of the building. However, the Minister has had inquiries made and the Courts Service has informed her that it has been planning for the redevelopment of Wicklow courthouse.

In 2008, a portion of land to the rear and side of Wicklow courthouse was purchased by the Courts Service from Wicklow County Council with a view to the future development of the courthouse. The courthouse building itself was vested by the Courts Service in October 2009. The building and surrounding lands are now in the ownership of the Courts Service. The Courts Service has also informed the Minister that expenditure on buildings, including leases, maintenance and related expenditure in Wicklow town between 2004 and 2012, was €2.455 million. This includes work on both Wicklow courthouse and the Wicklow Circuit Court office. Of this figure, €2.05 million was spent to acquire the site adjacent to the courthouse.

The Courts Service has not been in a position in recent years to proceed with plans for the redevelopment of Wicklow courthouse but it is committed to redeveloping and reopening the courthouse in Wicklow town. The Courts Service is currently reviewing its capital investment proposals in the light of the recent publication of Building on Recovery: Infrastructure and Capital Investment 2016-2021. The Minister has welcomed the unprecedented allocation of €875 million in capital funding for the justice sector, along with approval for further public private partnership projects in respect of An Garda Síochána and the Courts Service. The strategic objectives for the planned investment in the justice sector as outlined in the Government capital plan 2016-2021 include a new public private partnership to deliver on the Government’s proposals for a dedicated and integrated family law and children's courts building, together with additional court rooms for the Supreme Court and other courts offices at a site at Hammond Lane in Dublin.

The capital framework also provides for the construction of seven courthouses, which are included in the existing courts public private partnership building project. The locations are Mullingar, Limerick, Cork, Letterkenny, Drogheda, Wexford and Waterford. In addition, €10 million is being provided in Exchequer funding for courts building refurbishment. These investments will deliver significant improvement to the way public services are delivered in the justice sector.

On behalf of the Minister for Justice and Equality, I thank the Deputy for raising this important matter. The Minister appreciates his interest in the administration of justice in Wicklow. I am sure the Deputy will appreciate that, given the recent announcement of the Government’s capital plan, it is not possible yet to say what plans will be put in place for the redevelopment of Wicklow town courthouse.

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