William Aird (Laois, Fine Gael)
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10. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality further to Parliamentary Question No. 58 of 3 July 2025, if he will commit to ensuring that funding is made available to complete the new courthouse for Portlaoise, County Laois; the expected delivery of same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53872/25]

William Aird (Laois, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Minister for the opportunity to raise the issue of a new courthouse for County Laois. They requirement for a new courthouse has long been recognised. The National Development Plan, NDP, 2018-2027 identified the need for new courthouses in a number of locations with substandard facilities, including in my hometown of Portlaoise. The current facilities in Portlaoise are substandard and require updated, modernised, efficient, accessible courthouse facilities for Laois. They are just not fit for purpose at the moment.

Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Deputy for his question about the courthouse in Portlaoise. At the outset, in the area of provision of funding and services for the courts, it is important to note we secured an increase of €11 million, or 8.3%, in funding, for day-to-day court operations and the development of services in budget 2026.

As the Deputy will also be aware, the Government is supporting the Courts Service to progress its ten year modernisation programme to deliver digitally-enabled services designed make the courts system operate much more effectively. This programme is having significant positive impacts. The Government is also ensuring we have more judges available because courthouses on their own are not of much use unless there are judges to administer justice.

Insofar as capital works are concerned, the courts have benefited over a number of years from investment in new and refurbished courthouses at several locations nationally and this is continuing under the current NDP. The Courts Service purchased a site for a new courthouse in County Laois in 2020. Further progress with the Portlaoise project will depend on ultimate allocations under the revised NDP funding. There are a range of projects to be delivered across the justice sector, not just in the area of courts but also in the area of Garda stations.

I am pleased to state that the construction of a new Garda divisional headquarters in Portlaoise is under way.

Within the overall framework, my expectation is that development of the new courthouse in Portlaoise will form part of the latter phase of the current national development plan. The precise details remain to be settled. There is significant demand for the construction of courthouses throughout the country. Deputy Aird very eloquently advanced the cause of Portlaoise. Others have advanced the cause of other places. It is in the national development plan, but in the latter stage.

William Aird (Laois, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Minister for his response and his commitment to meet a group of stakeholders to discuss the urgent need for a courthouse in Portlaoise. The immediate priority is clear. We need funding for the development of the new courthouse in Portlaoise and a clear and definite timeframe for commencement and completion. As the Minister mentioned, an important first step has already been taken. I was a member of Laois County Council when it purchased the site in Kylekiproe almost five years ago to ensure that it would be available to the Department when it gave the green light for the courthouse to be built. The next step must be to secure funding. I acknowledge the strong focus on regenerating Main Street in Portlaoise to create a town where there is a sense that people live and do business there. I tabled this question in order to discover if we could progress matters. Moving the courthouse would open the door to a more accessible, pedestrian-friendly town centre, revitalising the heart of Portlaoise and encouraging new economic growth. I heard from legal professionals and members of the Garda and the Irish Prison Service. They all said the same thing, namely-----

John McGuinness (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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Thank you, Deputy.

William Aird (Laois, Fine Gael)
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-----that the existing courthouse is no longer fit for purpose. It causes congestion, which has a negative effect on businesses and residents in the town. There is a lack of privacy and dignity for those attending the court-----

John McGuinness (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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Deputy, you should conclude.

William Aird (Laois, Fine Gael)
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I will conclude by referring to the serious security conditions.

John McGuinness (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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You will get a chance to come back in again.

Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail)
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I agree with Deputy Aird. Courthouses can have a positive impact on a town or city. The Leas-Cheann Comhairle will know the impact a new courthouse can have on a city like Kilkenny. They attract people who come as witnesses and members of the legal profession. There is a buzz around a town in which there is a busy courthouse. I appreciate the economic benefits of a vibrant courthouse although that is not the purpose of the administration of justice. The Deputy believes, as do many people, that Portlaoise requires a new courthouse. I am advised that there are currently 13 staff in Portlaoise courthouse. That relates to district 15, in addition to special courts. Portlaoise court sits 13 days per month. The remaining sittings in district 15 take place in Tullamore. Portlaoise is a vibrant town. I understand why legal practitioners and representatives such as Deputy Aird want a new courthouse there. It is in the plan. I cannot give a commitment as to when the project will start.

William Aird (Laois, Fine Gael)
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Will the Minister acknowledge that the Midlands Prison is located in Portlaoise? He knows what happens in a courthouse, and the logistics involved in bringing prisoners down from a prison of that size twice a week. That is why I asked if it can be done. As the Minister stated, the site has been secured. The need is obvious and the benefits are evident. I urge the Minister to prioritise the immediate provision of funding in order that the construction of a new courthouse in Portlaoise can commence without delay. We must deliver a courthouse that meets the needs of the 21st century. I emphasise the fact that the Midlands Prison is located in Portlaoise. I thank all the people who work there caring for those in that facility every day of the week. Friends of mine work there. From a logistics point of view, vans, security and gardaí are needed. If there was a new facility, we would need less than a quarter of staff who currently accompany the prisoners from the Midlands Prison. That is why there is an urgent case to make today.

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

William Aird (Laois, Fine Gael)
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No one but us in Portlaoise has anything like the Midlands Prison, in which there are 1,500 prisoners.