Progress on Roscommon courthouse issue

Progress appears to be made on the long running issue of the future of Roscommon Town’s historic courthouse.

The historic building has been closed by the Courts Service since December 2022 for health and safety reasons, and the increasingly dilapidated state of the county town’s courthouse, a listed building, has been a source of concern.

Following a freedom of information request from the Roscommon Herald, the Courts Service confirmed that it has received an initial funding allocation under the revised National Development Plan to support the advancement of a courthouse project in Roscommon Town.

The Department of Justice subsequently confirmed that this funding amounted to a total of €350,000 and has been allocated to the historic courthouse for "preparatory works".

“This funding will facilitate the preparatory work required to develop a robust business case and evaluate the options necessary to inform future decisions regarding courthouse accommodation,” the Courts Service said.

A design team for the project has been appointed to prepare the Strategic Assessment and Preliminary Business Case for the proposed project.

“This work is being undertaken in accordance with the Infrastructure Guidelines and will define the scope, scale and requirements of the project, while assessing its feasibility, affordability and value for money,” the statement continued.

The preliminary business case will examine both current and future operational requirements and identify the accommodation needed to support the effective delivery of court services in Roscommon Town into the future.

“The assessment will provide the evidence base necessary to inform the next stage of project development and decision-making,” the statement added. 

“The project is focused on courthouse accommodation in Roscommon Town. In accordance with the Infrastructure Guidelines, the strategic assessment and preliminary business case will examine a broad range of options to identify the most appropriate solution to meet current and future Courts Service requirements.” 

Earlier this year, OPW was on site with a contractor at Roscommon Courthouse to assess what needs to be undertaken to the roof to maintain the building. A number of OPW architects also examined the building’s interior to view its current condition and give their assessment of what needs to be carried out.