John Brassil (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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186. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality his plans to provide the necessary funding to the Courts Service in Tralee, County Kerry, to carry out the refurbishment and upgrade works on the existing site at Tralee courthouse (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44908/17]

Charles Flanagan (Laois, Fine Gael)
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As the Deputy will be aware, under the provisions of the Courts Service Act 1998, management of the courts, including the provision of accommodation for court sittings, is the responsibility of the Courts Service, which is independent in exercising its functions.

However, in order to be of assistance to the Deputy, I have had enquiries made and the Courts Service has informed me that, as part of its provincial capital building programme, one of the objectives is to provide improved court accommodation in Tralee.

The Courts Service has advised that it appreciates that the courthouse on Ashe Street is an imposing historic building in the centre of the town, however the scope for refurbishing and developing the courthouse to provide the range of services expected in a modern courthouse is extremely limited due to the nature of the building and the constrained nature of the site.

Accordingly, the Courts Service is currently considering a number of options for Tralee Courthouse including the level of extension and refurbishment that is achievable within the confines of the existing site; whether it is feasible to consider refurbishment and extension of the existing courthouse; if an adjacent town centre site could be purchased or whether it should build a completely new courthouse on a new site.

Tralee is one of a number of provincial city/county town venues nationwide still requiring new or upgraded courthouse accommodation and collectively these venues will be the next priority for investment in courthouse facilities outside the capital.