The Courts Service says it has signed the contract to purchase the site on the Island of Geese.
In September last year, Kerry County Councillors voted to sell the site, which is 22% of the overall site area, to the Court Service for €160,000.
Kerry County Council has confirmed that the contracts have been exchanged and expects the sale to close shortly.
Last year, it was agreed that just over 0.2 hectares of land, which is almost half an acre, on the Island of Geese was to be sold to the Courts Service.
A spokesperson for the Courts Service says it has signed the contract for the Tralee site and the sale of the site is expected to close this or next week.
This paves the way for a modern new court house to be built onsite, which will comprise four courtrooms along with related facilities including consultation rooms, custody facilities, a legal practitioner’s suite, public waiting areas, facilities for juries and vulnerable witnesses, and separate secure circulation routes for members of the public, those in custody, jurors, staff and Judges.
The Courts Service says the provision of improved court house facilities at Tralee is a key project in its National Development Plan 2021 – 2030, adding the acquisition of the site is a necessary step in securing future funding for the project.
The Kerry Law Society has welcomed the news and is now calling on the Courts Service to prioritise the Tralee development.
There had been criticism at the last month’s meeting of Kerry County Council over the lack of progress being made on the project, with some councillors calling for funding to be provided to the Courts Service to build a new facility.
Cathaoirleach of the council, Cllr Jim Finucane told the meeting the Court Service isn’t in a position to apply for funding until the site is in its ownership.
Now that the sale is nearing completion, Cllr Finucane says he’d like to see a vision established for the current court house, which will become derelict one the new facility opens, adding he’d like to see it developed into a civic and arts centre.
