asked the Minister for Justice the plans he has to improve Irish prisons; and when they are likely to be implemented.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Prison Improvements.
19.
As I propose to make a detailed statement on this matter when opening the debate on the Estimates for my Department, which is expected to take place next week, I would ask the Deputy to await that statement.
Is it not the case that the Minister has already made a public announcement on this yesterday, according to the daily papers?
That is not correct. I met the Press yesterday following their tour of the prisons. I met them to discuss their tour with them. I will have a lot more to say about the prisons and will be able to give more details in regard to precise schemes which will be relevant to my Estimate.
Does the Minister intend to follow the pattern already set by the Government where all announcements are leaked to the Press a week before they are announced to the House?
If the Deputy has read today's papers, he will have seen that there is no question of leaking anything to the Press. I discussed with the Press what they saw on their tour of the prisons.
Could I ask the Minister by way of reference to what he has called the "tour of the prisons" whether this embraced not only the prisons in operation but those which are allegedly being prepared at the moment? I am speaking about the Cork prison and Arbour Hill. Have they been considered and have they been inspected by the Press? Did all the newspapers get an opportunity of seeing them or were some not invited?
The visiting party were not taken to Arbour Hill because it is not in operation. It is under reconstruction. They were taken to Cork. The visit was full and free with the exception that there was an embargo put on the members of the party having conversations with the prisoners. That was the only restriction.
Not all the newspapers were there.
It would be impossible to bring all the newspaper representatives around the prisons. It was not possible to have a conducted tour of all, but each of the four national daily newspapers was represented, as well as the radio and television, and the Garda Review, which have a specialist interest in that field.
Not The Sunday World.