Pa Daly (Kerry, Sinn Fein)
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3. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the projects that will benefit from funding allotted under the public private partnership line item in her Department’s planned capital expenditure for 2022. [36290/22]

Pa Daly (Kerry, Sinn Fein)
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I want to ask the Minister which projects will benefit from the funding allotted under the public private partnership, PPP, line item in the Department's planned capital expenditure for 2022.

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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Under the national development plan, the Government will invest over €282 million in capital projects in 2022, including provision for PPP funding. The Government has prioritised a package of funding which will facilitate sustained investment to support an efficient and effective justice system providing important Government services and activities across the sector, including in forensic science, policing, prisons and the courts. As the Deputy may be aware, the capital allocation for the justice Vote group encompasses An Garda Síochána, the Courts Service, prisons and the justice Votes.

The funding allocated under a PPP line item in 2022 relates specifically to the courts Vote. I am informed that the allocation of €38.74 million relates to the annual repayments for the courts building projects delivered under the public private partnership mechanism, encompassing the criminal courts complex in Parkgate Street, Dublin 8 and seven regional courthouse developments completed in 2017 and 2018. The regional courthouses are located in Wexford, Mullingar, Waterford, Limerick, Cork, Letterkenny and Drogheda. As the Deputy may wish to note, three large infrastructural projects are due for completion this year: a new laboratory for Forensic Science Ireland at Backweston, County Kildare; the redevelopment of Limerick Prison; and a large capital development for An Garda Síochána at Military Road, Dublin 8, to replace the Harcourt Square facilities.

Separately, the Department is progressing a further justice PPP project to provide a new family law court in Hammond Lane, Dublin 7, and two new Garda stations in Clonmel, County Tipperary and Macroom, County Cork. I am pleased that my Department, as the approving authority, has recently been in a position to provide approval in principle to the Courts Service and An Garda Síochána to proceed with these projects under the PPP mechanism. This is based on comprehensive business cases being submitted. This work is being advanced in conjunction with the National Development Finance Agency and will be completed in as timely a manner as possible.

Pa Daly (Kerry, Sinn Fein)
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It is interesting that the Minister mentioned the Criminal Courts of Justice because the repayments on that have probably been going on for 15 years and it will cost the State a sum of over €600 million for a piece of ground it already owned. There was only one real winner in that, namely the original funder, Babcock & Brown, which has received huge amounts of money from it. It is interesting that the largest capital commitments are towards PPPs and that is a pity given the lessons that are not being learned from the Criminal Courts of Justice. The State is locked into long-term commitments which ensure a lot of private profit.

We are waiting for an update on the courthouse in Tralee. Does the Minister have an update on any decision on that project? Has the Courts Service made any decision on whether it will proceed with the Island of Geese site?

The process with Hammond Lane has also been going on for years and years. There is a lot of frustration among family lawyers that there does not seem to be any date. Is there a date when the Minister expects that will be completed?

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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People might ask why we took this approach with the PPPs, which the Deputy has referred to. When the three elements of the PPP are combined they are more likely to be of a scale sufficient to attract the private sector parties and competition, where such interests and competition might not be generated if projects are progressed individually. The specific projects are often capable of being specified clearly within a PPP procurement process and contractual arrangement. There is an annual repayment cost over a period of 25 years, as opposed to the upfront capital cost, which makes it more affordable within the future funding allocations of the Courts Service and An Garda Síochána.

It is about making sure it can be delivered on time as well. Examples of facilities delivered and managed under PPP arrangements successfully elsewhere have come in on time and on budget. I will come back in on the query on Tralee court sites.

Pa Daly (Kerry, Sinn Fein)
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Has there been engagement with the Department of heritage in relation to these new projects? As the Minister is probably aware, that Department spoke to the justice committee some time ago in relation to courthouses. The strong recommendation of one of the architects was that a grade 2 or 3 architectural review should take place before services are withdrawn from any court building. That should be done, in our view, in relation to Tralee courthouse. This might be a time, given what is or is not being considered by the Courts Service in relation to the Denny site, for the Minister to use her influence, take another look at the courthouse in Tralee to ascertain whether it can be refurbished and get the report from a heritage grade architect which is mandated by the Department of heritage. It also would be in line with the town centre first policy in the programme for Government. It would be better from an emissions perspective if we did not have to construct a new building, but could refurbish the current one.

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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It is because of the architect's report we received through the OPW from the Courts Service, which clearly says the building is not sufficient to deliver the required services which we want in Tralee and the surrounding areas, that another site has been identified. That is the Island of Geese site. There is no moving away from that decision. That decision has been taken by the Courts Service. This must be agreed by the local authority. The likelihood is that there should be agreement from the council. My understanding is that the Courts Service, the OPW and the local authority are meeting again this month, if not in the next two weeks, to discuss and progress this further. It is important that we progress the project and a decision is finally taken. The Courts Service decision was taken on the basis that this is the best way to expand and deliver on the services currently there in a way that is fit and proper for the environment people now need to work in.

Pa Daly (Kerry, Sinn Fein)
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Will the Minister ask that the heritage report be given before that meeting takes place so it can be properly considered?

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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I will come back to the Deputy on that.