Parliamentary Question: Prison Education

25th November 2003

282. Mr. Wall asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the plans his Department has for the education of prisoners transferred to Midlands Prison, Portlaoise, in regard to therapeutic and educational services if the proposal to close the Curragh prison is completed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28108/03]

283. Mr. Wall asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the plans his Department has to deal with the educational facilities and educational staff at the Curragh prison in view of the recent announcement of the impending closure of the prison; if the staff and educational facilities will be transferred with the changeover; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28109/03]

Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform (Mr. McDowell): I propose to take Questions Nos. 282 and 283 together.

In my reply to the Deputy's Question No. 78 today I outlined the position of the educational staff at the Curragh Place of Detention in the event that I am forced to implement the mothballing of the centre.

The centre is a closed institution with a capacity for 102 offenders, the vast majority of whom are sex offenders. The average age of offenders is over 50 years as against a prisons wide average of just under 30 years. Although offenders in the Curragh are in custody for serious crimes they do not pose a significant disciplinary or security risk. It is intended that most offenders detained in the Curragh would be transferred to the Midlands Prison, Portlaoise. Others may be transferred to other institutions.

As the move would be from one closed institution to another, there would be no major difference in the level of security under which the offenders are held. The move would be to a modern facility so their custodial conditions would be equivalent to those experienced in the Curragh. The intention would be to make every effort to retain the integrity of the Curragh's multi-disciplinary team approach in order to provide for continuity in all regime areas, including education.