The 19-courtroom family courts complex will be built on a brownfield site at Hammond Lane/Church Street in Dublin 7, adjacent to the Four Courts in the heart of the city’s legal quarter.

Originally earmarked for the project in 2014, construction work on the site is now projected to begin in 2026 and last until 2028. The completed building will replace family law court buildings described by practitioners as completely unfit for purpose.

The National Development Finance Agency (NDFA) will procure and deliver the courts complex in conjunction with the Office for Public Works (OPW), on behalf of the Courts Service, as a public-private partnership (PPP).

Angela Denning, CEO of the Courts Service, said: “There has always been a determined focus by the Courts Service, going back many years, to bring this important project to fruition.

“The grant of planning is an important milestone on the road to building the long-awaited Dublin family courts complex. There is now momentum behind this project and we look forward to working with the OPW and the NDFA to deliver this much needed facility as quickly as possible.”

Justice minister Helen McEntee said: “The granting marks a major milestone in delivering this project and I am very grateful to the OPW for their work and assistance in bringing the project to this point.

“I recognise that the present facilities in central Dublin at Dolphin House, Chancery Street, Phoenix House and in the Four Courts do not adequately meet the needs of those children and families navigating the family law process.

“That is why the construction of a purpose-built family law court complex at Hammond Lane is a key programme for government commitment and a priority project in the national development plan.”

She added: “It will be built with the specific needs of family law users in mind and will provide a modern facility where family law cases can be held in a dignified, secure and non-threatening environment with a range of support services at hand.

“The new family court complex will provide the infrastructure to support the Family Courts Bill and our ongoing implementation of the family justice strategy, which both recognise that children and families should be at the centre of the system.

“These initiatives mark the beginning of the reform of how our family justice system operates, to try to make it work better for everyone engaging with it, but particularly for those who need additional supports and protections, such as domestic violence victims or vulnerable parents and children.”