Vol. 491 No. 2
39 Mr. Howlin asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the finances that will be required to construct the number of prison places that he is committed to provide; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11507/98]
Under the programme for Government I am committed to the provision of "an extra 1,000 prison places within the first two years including a new remand prison, with 2,000 places to be provided in total". This building programme is well under way and will deliver 1,092 additional places by mid-1999, which exceeds the undertaking in the programme for Government. Plans are now being drawn up for the provision of further prison places promised in the programme document. Total capital construction costs for the 1,092 additional places, together with all the necessary supporting facilities, will amount to £90 million approximately. This building programme for the provision of additional prison places, together with the ongoing capital refurbishment programme for the existing prisons, is being funded through the Prisons Vote. The capital cost of the new prison at Portlaoise — 400 places — which is being procured on a private sector funding basis, is included in the £90 million figure.
I am satisfied that construction costs for the additional prison places, at an average of approximately £82,500 per place, represents good value for money in the very buoyant construction sector market. This figure is significantly lower than corresponding costs incurred in the past. In relation to the provision of the further prison places to be provided under the programme, I can assure the Deputy that the same level of careful and efficient planning, as used for the current building prison building programme, will again be employed to ensure that best value for taxpayers' money is obtained.
