andMr. Treacy asked the Minister for Justice the progress made to date in the reconstruction of Mountjoy Prison.
Ceisteanna—Questions Oral Answers. - Mountjoy Prison Reconstruction.
127.
I would refer the Deputy to my answer to similar questions on 13th July last. Since then full sanitary and washing facilities have been restored. Sixty-five per cent of the damaged cells have now been temporarily restored and similar work is proceeding on the remainder.
As I have already mentioned, the prison needs to be extensively altered both to modernise the accommodation and to provide an adequate standard of security. These alterations, which involve reroofing and the provision of flooring on each landing, must necessarily be carried out wing by wing. While this work is in progress the wing concerned will not be available to accommodate prisoners. A preliminary report and cost plan of these alterations has been prepared by the consulting engineer and is being examined in my Department and in the Office of Public Works.
Is it not correct to say that the reconstruction of the wings cannot proceed until the corrective training unit has been constructed and, if that is correct, can the Minister give some indication as to how far work on the reconstruction of the unit has progressed?
The completion date for the unit is October, 1973. The work was started early in October, 1972.