Vol. 458 No. 1
72 Mr. Callely asked the Minister for Justice the plans, if any, she has to address the prison accommodation problem in view of her statement that it is common knowledge that there is pressure on existing prison accommodation; the time scale involved; the short-term measures if any, that she has considered; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16458/95]
In 1994 the Department of Justice published a major policy document in relation to prisons entitled "The Management of Offenders — A Five Year Plan". This outlines in detail the best way forward for the prison system for the following five years.
The provision of additional prison spaces is one of the elements of the strategy set out in this document. As the Deputy will be aware, in June of this year the Government decided to defer the Castlerea prison project and the proposed new women's prison. The matter of the Castlerea project is still under examination by the interdepartmental committee set up after the decision on the deferral was taken. This committee has been asked to report to me by the end of December 1995. In the meantime the other elements of the strategy set out in the five year plan, such as the importance of developing community sanctions and measures as a means of avoiding the negative effects of imprisonment will be developed. Some of these sanctions are already in place and the scope for extending community based sanctions and measures is considerable given the professional expertise available in the Probation Service.
