Parliamentary Question: Prison Accommodation

5th November 2002

607. Mr. Kelleher asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform his plans to proceed with the building of a causeway from the mainland to Spike Island prison; if there are plans to downgrade the prison; the reason it is running at 75% occupancy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19801/02]

Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform (Mr. McDowell): In addition to accommodating, in the main, young males from the Munster area, Fort Mitchel place of detention has traditionally been used to accommodate prisoners initially committed to Cork Prison, Limerick Prison and St. Patrick's Institution when these institutions are at or near full capacity. When this happens, prisoner transfers to Fort Mitchel are arranged to alleviate the situation.

At present, the three committal institutions to which I referred are, taken together, operating at slightly below full capacity and it is not necessary to arrange such transfers. Accordingly, the number of prisoners currently detained in Fort Mitchel is below full capacity. The number of persons committed to prison is cyclical in nature and it is anticipated that, as the current court sittings proceed, the number of prisoners in custody will increase and there will be a consequential rise in the number of prisoners detained at Fort Mitchel. While my Department has examined the feasibility of building a causeway to Spike Island, there are no plans at present to proceed with such a project. Nor are there plans at present to downgrade this facility.