My adjourned question from a previous meeting ‘Can we get an update from the Council about the status of the Old Courthouse site in Newbridge, including any plans for the site that would allow the insurance money be drawn down ? The insurance money payable, as a result of the Old Courthouse burning down, is Kildare County Council Page 13 of 13 yet to be drawn down, was brought to our attention as one of the reasons why the site could not be used for the location of a Skatepark.

Report: Following a fire in the Newbridge Courthouse on 4th April 2002 the Council removed the remaining structures from the site on grounds of safety. The normal arrangement whereby insurance would be recouped, following reinstatement of the building, did not apply as there was no immediate agreement on the replacement or use of the building.

In the circumstances, a case was made to the Insurers to recoup the costs incurred as well as recovering a sum realisable under the extent of insurance cover afforded to the building. Part of this was to recoup Civil Defence for loss of items held in storage at the building.

The settlement was arrived at on the basis that the Council would, in time, deliver a replacement building on the site – hence the indication previously that it could not be used as the Skatepark site. In the absence of any emerging fundable programme that would see delivery of an appropriate building on the site, the remaining fund advanced under the insurance claim is being targeted as match funding for the proposed library headquarters in Newbridge.