Parliamentary Question: Irish Prison Service

27th February 2007

 260. Mr. Costello asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform  the number of institutional facilities belonging to his Department or funded or part-funded by his Department in the Dublin central constituency area; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7378/07]

Tánaiste and Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform (Mr. McDowell): I understand that the Deputy is primarily interested in information concerning institutional facilities with a residential component. Accordingly, I can inform him that there are four institutions under the administration of the Irish Prison Service in the constituency area in question. These are:-

Mountjoy Prison - (Male and Female Prison) - North Circular Road, Dublin 7.

St. Patrick's Institution - North Circular Road, Dublin 7.

Training Unit - Glengarriff Parade, Dublin 7.

Arbour Hill Prison - Arbour Hill, Dublin 7.

In addition, my Department provides funding to a range of voluntary bodies which provide services to offenders in local communities. There are twelve such community based projects located in the Dublin Central Constituency area, one of which has a residential component as follows:

Tús Nua, 136 North Circular Road, Dublin 7

Tús Nua, managed by DePaul Trust, provides residential accommodation and support for female ex-offenders on probation type supervision in the community or on discharge from custody.

I can also inform the Deputy that the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform through the Reception and Integration Agency has responsibility for the provision of accommodation for asylum seekers while their applications for asylum are being processed. The details of these centres within the Dublin Central Constituency will be forwarded directly to the Deputy.