Parliamentary Question: Prison Building Programme

18th February 2004

273. Mr. R. Bruton asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the cost involved over recent years of the total refurbishment of Mountjoy women's prison; if it is the Government's intention to close down that prison in the main Mountjoy Prison complex; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5163/04]

Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform (Mr. McDowell):  In January 1996, the Government gave approval for the construction of a new women's prison at the Mountjoy Prison complex. The construction of the women's prison, to house 60 offenders, commenced early in 1997 and was completed in April 1999. The construction cost was £13.5 million, or €17.2 million, which included all the costs associated with the construction of both the new prison and a 300-space multi-storey car park, adjacent to St. Patrick's Institution, to service the entire prison complex at Mountjoy. Roughly one quarter of the costs is attributable to the multi-storey car park.

The new women's prison became known as the Dóchas centre. The total cost of maintenance and improvement works for the Dóchas centre over the past five years since it opened has been €986,603.02. Unfortunately, the centre has suffered from serious overcrowding problems almost from its inception, even with the benefit of an additional 20 spaces provided in the final phase of its construction. It is the Government's intention to replicate an expanded version of the Dóchas centre in the plans to move the entire Mountjoy Prison complex to a greenfield site in the greater Dublin area.