Andrew Doyle (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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I am grateful for the opportunity to address this ongoing need for the development of a four-court campus in Wicklow town. By way of background, I have been writing about this issue since 2011. In February 2013, I and my four colleagues wrote to the then Minister of State, Brian Hayes, Mr. Brendan Ryan at the office of the Courts Service and Mr. Gerry Nugent. We have also written to the former Minister for Justice and Equality, Deputy Shatter, and the current Minister for Justice and Equality, Deputy Fitzgerald. Nine or ten years ago, a decision was taken by the Courts Service to develop a four-court campus in Wicklow town at the location of the old courts. One of the two courts already there is Victorian and has been used for filming and advertisements through the offices of Wicklow Film Commission.

Wicklow town is the county administrative town and to this end the Courts Service purchased the adjacent library with a view to expansion. The economic conditions which have since overwhelmed everybody, in particular public bodies such as the Courts Service, have meant this has been put on the long finger, although it remains an objective of the Courts Service to proceed. As it stands, there has been a gradual movement of court services from Wicklow to Bray, which has a facility that is expensive and totally inadequate. The reason it is expensive is a legacy issue about which we cannot do much. It is not a long-term option for the county's court services to remain in Bray. Whatever about having a local district court there, this is as much as it should be expected to provide.

I tabled a parliamentary question to the Minister because I felt the capital development programme will mean many people will make requests, but if we are not in and if we do not keep the pressure on, we certainly will not be successful. The response I received stated that while the Courts Service has not been in a position in recent years to proceed with its plans for Wicklow courthouse, it is committed to the development of the courthouse.

It is reviewing its capital investment proposals in light of the recent publication of Building on Recovery: Infrastructure and Capital Investment 2016-2021.

I urge that this project be put on a priority list. We have waited eight years since the development process was stopped and I remember speaking at the time to the then county registrar, who said that they had all the required property adjacent to the court and they could proceed with the project in the planning stage. It is a shame as this could complement Wicklow Gaol, which is now a famous tourist attraction. This could develop the tourist offering in that part of the town. Historically, people were arrested, brought to the gaol and court before usually being sentenced to penal servitude in Van Diemen's Land. They were moved to either Dún Laoghaire or Cobh for deportation. There is a history and, in addition to the other reasons I outlined, it is why I tabled this matter.

Paudie Coffey (Waterford, Fine Gael)
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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.

Andrew Doyle (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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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.

Paudie Coffey (Waterford, Fine Gael)
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I acknowledge that Deputy Doyle has put down what is a very important Topical Issue. I acknowledge the efforts of Deputy Doyle and the Minister of State, Deputy Simon Harris, on this issue. I encourage further engagement with the Courts Service regarding the capital plan and the allocation of resources that we have available. As I explained, it is important to note that the Courts Service has stated its commitment to redeveloping and reopening Wicklow town courthouse. The courthouse building and surrounding lands are in the ownership of the Courts Service, although it was, unfortunately, not in a position in recent years to proceed with its plans. However, it is reviewing its capital investment proposals now in light of the recent publication of the Building on Recovery: Infrastructure and Capital Investment 2016-2021, to which I have referred.

The Minister has been assured that the matter will be kept under review, having regard to the available resources. We now have opportunities that were not available before and I sure Deputy Doyle and his colleague, the Minister of State, Deputy Harris, will be pursuing this vigorously and engaging with the Courts Service to achieve their objectives.