Andrew Doyle (Wicklow, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I will hone in on the word "yet". I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Simon Harris. On 28 February 2013, five Wicklow Deputies collectively wrote about this matter, even though some of the Deputies are located in the northern part of the county, including Bray. There was no vested interest but it was seen as the right thing to do. Nobody can argue with the idea that Wicklow courthouse is an iconic building like Wicklow Gaol, and it is probably one of the stand-out features of the town's architecture. It needs to be developed.

I have not even made reference to what it costs in maintenance to keep the facility from decaying. I do not know what is the figure but I did ask the Courts Service if they could give me an idea at one stage. Perhaps I would not like to know, as the money is going on heating and lighting to keep the place aired, which is a shame. I decided to raise this Topical Issue on foot of the capital investment plan announcements in order to get in early. The €875 million is very welcome as it is a very significant figure. We would not even need 1% of it but we do need a portion. I ask that this be kept high on the Minister's agenda.

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