Parliamentary Question: Prison Accommodation

25th November 2003

314. Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the way in which he proposes to accommodate the extra prison population likely in the event of the conviction of those involved in crime, organised or otherwise, and in view of his intention to close a number of prisons; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28409/03]

Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform (Mr. McDowell): As a result of considerable investment, an extra 1,200 prison places have been provided in the past five years. This measure has largely addressed the issue of widespread overcrowding that had become a chronic problem for the prison system by the early 1990s. The Government is committed in An Agreed Programme for Government to continue with the modernisation of prisons and to the provision of sufficient places to avoid serious overcrowding in the future.

The process is being severely hampered by the overtime crisis in the prisons. Money earmarked for necessary capital projects is being devoured by an overtime system that is out of control. It must be tackled and Deputies will be aware of the efforts that are being made in this regard.

As I have stated before, it is not my preferred option to close, even temporarily, any of our prison institutions. I may be left with no choice if the Prison Officers Association does not agree to annualised hours. It would not result in significantly reduced capacity as the space lost by the mothballing of Fort Mitchel and the Curragh places of detention would be largely offset by the opening of new landings in Limerick Prison and the Midlands Prison. If the running of the open centres at Loughan House and Shelton Abbey is transferred to another agency it is intended that the spaces in these centres will still be available for transfers from prisons of persons under sentence.