Refurbishment works at Wicklow courthouse subject to national funding
The Wicklow PeopleRefurbishment works at the former Wicklow courthouse will be subject to funding secured as part of the review of the National Development Plan (NDP).
The former courthouse has been closed due to health and safety concerns since September 2010. Since then, Bray has served as the main court venue for County Wicklow.
The Office of Public Works (OPW) has provided the Courts Service with costings and options for the full restoration of Wicklow Courthouse, ranging in price from around €13 million to €17 million.2
The Courts Service has also advised Justice Minister Jim O’Callaghan that Wicklow Courthouse was included in its submission for the NDP.
This means that further progress in relation to the building and timeline for its complete refurbishment will depend on funding allocated under the revised plan.
Public Expenditure Minister Jack Chambers completed a review of the plan in July 2025, however there was little detail on what specific projects will receive funding.
In the meantime, the OPW has recently undertaken some works to preserve the roof of the building to address the dry rot which has spread to the adjoining buildings. The Courts Service has further advised that, while open to making the courthouse available for community usage, it is not currently able to do so for health and safety reasons.
Despite that, officials from the Court Service have liaised with Wicklow County Council and made the adjoining former Library building available to the council, which has been used as a Ukrainian hub since 2022.
In addition, the Courts Service are open to engaging with all interested parties on how the building can be used in the future.