Vol. 497 No. 4
33 Dr. Upton asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the number of prison places for every 100,000 head of population in Ireland; if he will provide the comparative statistics for each OECD member state; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25165/98]
Currently, there is a total of 2,793 prison places available in the State, this represents approximately 77 places per 100,000 head of population. It should, however, be understood that the above stated number of places includes a significant number arising from ‘doubling up' of single cells, a practice which cannot be permitted to continue indefinitely.
In the period since I took up office, the Government approved prisons building programme in place at my Department has already produced an additional 212 places at Castlerea and Limerick prisons. That building programme is on target to complete a further 480 places by early next year at the new remand prison at Cloverhill and the new Women's Prison beside Mountjoy, and, thereafter, before the end of 1999, an additional 515 places at the new Midlands Prison, Portlaoise. Thus, a total of 995 new prison places will be completed between now and the end of 1999.
Taking into account the inevitable loss of existing places arising from reduction of doubling up in our prisons and from the closure of some cell accommodation for a major refurbishment-modernisation project commencing at Mountjoy Prison in 1999, it is projected that a total of approximately 3,500 prison places will be available for use at the end of 1999.
