Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail)

I agree with the Deputy. We need to develop a situation where prison officers are not used frequently throughout the day for the purpose of transporting prisoners from prisons to courts. I will bring forward legislation later this year, in the form of a miscellaneous provisions Bill, in which we will seek to give effect to that for many more remote hearings. People can have their hearings from the prison where they are being held on remand rather than being transferred by prison officers to a courthouse for that purpose. It makes sense if there is a strong prison, like the Midlands Prison in Portlaoise, to ensure that here is a correspondingly suitable courthouse in the vicinity. There is a courthouse in Portlaoise. The Deputy has urged eloquently that it needs to be upgraded, refurbished or replaced. I will take that on board. When it comes to the national development plan and capital projects relating to courthouses and Garda stations, there are many Deputies who are as eloquent and committed as Deputy Aird in making requests. They say to me that the projects in their areas need to prioritised. I cannot prioritise them all, but I hear what the Deputy is saying.

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