Portlaoise courthouse site waits but 'no talk' to build it

A Laois Fine Gael councillor is asking the county's three TDs to press the Office of Public Works again to deliver a new courthouse for Portlaoise.

The existing historic courthouse is on the Main Street, but there is no room for prison vans to park, with pedestrians feeling intimidated on court days. Downtown Portlaoise traders group have complained about the parking issues. 

It also recently had a rodent problem.  A new building by 2030 is on the national development plan, with a site bought behind Laois County Council offices facing the new southern link road.

However Cllr Willie Aird says there is "no talk" any more of building the new fit for purpose courthouse.

"It was great when we got the site. Now there's no talk about it.

"I am asking that we write to the three TDs. We are talking about an election in October or November. John Mulholland (retired Laois County Council CEO) worked hard to get a site. That seems to be the end of it. We have been told it's not on this plan. I ask so they can write back for our September meeting," he said.

He tabled his motion to the July meeting of Laois County Council, but Cllr Caroline Dwane Stanley who is married to Deputy Brian Stanley, informed him of her husband's recent action on the issue.

"I'm not here to speak for him, but he met the OPW in June. They told him there is no funding at all so this needs to be directed back to the Government. It was in the local press a month ago. There is no point meeting the OPW, it's the Government Minister needs to be asked," she said.

Cllr Aird asked to amend his motion then to write just to Fine Gael TD Charlie Flanagan and Fianna Fáil Minister of State Sean Fleming. 

The Court Service had agreed some years ago that the 240 year old building was no longer fit for purpose. It had worked with the Office of Public Works (OPW) and Laois County Council to buy a site in 2020 for a new building, behind Laois County Council offices, facing onto the new link road.  

According to the Courts Service, the National Development Plan (NDP) 2021 – 2030 contains Courthouse development projects to be completed during the period of the plan in Galway City, Wicklow Town, Portlaoise, Tralee, Roscommon, Naas, Bray, Navan, Swords, Tallaght and Dun Laoghaire.

The Courts Service says it is in discussions with the Department of Justice regarding funding.

It is understood that the next set of funding approvals by Government are due to be made this year, perhaps before the General Election. Court authorities are hopeful that the Portlaoise project will be included.

Senior OPW management told TDs recently that the new court would be similar to the Letterkenny Courthouse. It opened in 2018 costing €140 million to build under a public-private partnership mechanism.

However, Ciaran O'Connor, State Architect, told Laois Offaly TD Dep Brian Stanley in June that funding had yet to be approved.