Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)
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To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality the amount of money expended from 2004 to date on the courthouse at Market Square, Wicklow Town, including any Architects fees and moneys paid to Wicklow County Council to purchase the building and the public library adjacent to it; the reasons the courthouse has not yet been utilised or refurbished since the courts were temporarily transferred to Bray in 2007; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10820/13]

Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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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 Service is independent in the performance of its functions, including the maintenance and provision of courthouse facilities.

In order to be of assistance to the Deputy, I have had enquiries made and have been informed by the Courts Service 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 Wicklow Circuit Court Office. Of this figure, €2.050 million was spent to acquire the site adjacent to the courthouse from Wicklow County Council.

I am informed that the proposed redevelopment of the courthouse has not taken place because of the reduction in recent years in the capital funding available to the Courts Service for courthouse capital projects. The Courts Service has advised that when the necessary funding becomes available, it is their intention to redevelop Wicklow Courthouse as part of its programme for the development of county town courthouses.