'Landmark' courts building to cost €100m

A capital cost of approximately €100 million is likely for a landmark courts building in Dublin which the Courts Service wants built for it by the private sector.

The public-private partnership proposal also envisages that the building would be operated and maintained by the private sector over the next 25-35 years.

The building, which would accommodate criminal trials currently held in the Four Courts and other courts buildings in Dublin, is to be constructed on the corner of Parkgate Street and Infirmary Road. The site is currently used as a car park by the Garda.

The Courts Service wishes to have the building operational by late 2008. Sources said that the capital cost of the building was likely to be in the region of €100 million.

At a consultation yesterday, Minister for Justice Michael McDowell told invited members of the business and construction sectors that the building should be designed to concentrate all central Dublin criminal business in one serviced location.

It will be the largest capital project undertaken on behalf of the courts since the foundation of the State.

Dublin criminal hearings from the District Court, Circuit Court, Central Criminal Court, Special Criminal Court and Court of Criminal Appeal will take place in the building. The Four Courts, built originally to house civil hearings, will revert to exclusively accommodating such hearings.

Mr John Mahon of the Courts Service said that the service was looking for a building which would reflect the independence of the judiciary and the "dignity and importance of the business transacted".

The building will accommodate 15 jury courtrooms and seven non-jury courtrooms, configured so they can be used by any of the criminal jurisdictions based on business needs.

There will be secure jury rooms, victim-support rooms, judges' quarters and sufficient circulation spaces for public waiting, and safe and efficient access and egress from courtrooms.

A large jury assembly area in a secure area to cater for up to 500 people called for jury service will also be included, as will facilities for witnesses, professionals, representatives of the Director of Public Prosecutions and other agencies, as well as a media room and a small broadcast studio.

There will be cells capable of accommodating up to 100 prisoners, two fully equipped technology courts, and computer and video-link rooms. All courtrooms will be cabled to support video conferencing and digital audio recording.

Mr McDowell said that the building would allow for overcoming the security, service delivery and logistical problems of running criminal trials in a number of sites dispersed throughout the Four Courts campus.

"There is little or no scope for improving these facilities within the fabric of the existing campus of buildings where criminal trials are held," he said.

The successful tender for the building would design, finance, operate and maintain the building. The Courts Service will make annualised payments to the group that wins the competition. The service is hoping to receive a number of bids for the project, including interest from abroad.

Expressions of interest have to be lodged by June 10th, and a number of parties, probably between three and six, will then be invited to make tenders.

It is envisaged that the building will be "a landmark civic building which will make a significant contribution to the architectural form of Dublin", according to the service.