Eircom’s Australian suitor to build €100m supercourt

AN AUSTRALIAN company is set to build the €100 million supercourt in Dublin, it emerged yesterday.

Babcock and Brown, which is currently trying to take over Eircom, will be responsible for the construction of the enormous 22-court complex.

It will be the largest courts development in the history of the State and will replace the Central Criminal Court, the Special Criminal Court, Dublin Circuit Court and much of Dublin District Court.

The Courts Service said Babcock and Brown had been selected as the preferred tenderer to build the complex.

“The service will now enter into detailed negotiations with the selected tenderer with a view to concluding contract negotiations for delivery of this landmark project,” said a spokesman.

The new courts complex will be located on a site at the junction of Parkgate Street and Infirmary Road, adjacent to the entrance to Dublin’s Phoenix Park. It is expected to be ready for use by 2009 and is being funded through a public private partnership.

Babcock and Brown will design, build and maintain the complex for 25 years, at a total cost to the State of about €100m.

The Australian investment company, which is attempting to buy Eircom for €2.36 billion, is involved in financing infrastructure projects around the world.

It made the final shortlist of three consortia before being selected as the preferred tenderer. It is expected to contract out much of the construction work to Irish companies.

The Courts Service said the transfer of criminal trials from the Four Courts and other nearby buildings to the new complex would improve efficiency and security.

A spokesman said the courts complex would provide much better facilities for victims, prisoners, witnesses, jurors and the public.

“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 added.

The historic Four Courts complex, designed by architect James Gandon, and partially destroyed in the Civil War, will be used for commercial court cases.