Parliamentary Question: Prisons Building Programme

8th December 2004

25. Mr. Quinn  asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform when he expects to receive the report of the expert group established to consider potential sites for the location of a new prison to replace Mountjoy Jail; when a final decision will be made on the recently constructed Dóchas women's prison in the Mountjoy complex; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32511/04]

Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform (Mr. McDowell):  The group established to examine potential sites for a prison complex to replace that at Mountjoy has reported to me and has identified a number of sites as being suitable for consideration as a site for a new complex. I hope to be in a position to make an announcement on the matter before the end of this year. As regards the Dóchas centre, a final decision on its future cannot be taken until after a site for the new prison complex has been acquired and Government approval for the construction of a new complex has been obtained.

While no final decision has been made to demolish the women's prison facility at Mountjoy, it is true that additional facilities are required for women prisoners and the intention is to provide an improved facility on the new site. In such a case, it would be more cost effective to transfer all prisoners from the existing site at Mountjoy to the new location when construction work has been completed, making the Dóchas facility redundant and freeing up space for a more attractive redevelopment of the Mountjoy site. Any female prison constructed on the new site would be equal, if not superior, to the Dóchas centre.

The Dóchas facility will, at a very minimum, continue to remain in operation until a new facility has been completed and brought into operation, which will not happen before 2007/2008 at the earliest.