Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 23 Nov 1999

Vol. 511 No. 3

Written Answers. - Prison Committals.

Denis Naughten

Question:

61 Mr. Naughten asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the number of prisoners in Mountjoy Prison on 10 November 1999; the official capacity of the prison; and the number of prisoners who had to slop-out [24204/99]

Michael D. Higgins

Question:

67 Mr. M. Higgins asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the number of prisoners Mountjoy prison is designed to hold; the average number held overnight in the first ten months of 1999; the greatest number held on any one night; and the lowest number held on any one night [24301/99]

Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform (Mr. O'Donoghue)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 61 and 67 together.

There were 784 prisoners in Mountjoy Prison on Wednesday 10 November. The design capacity of the prison is 547 while the bed capacity is 670. The average number held overnight in Mountjoy during the first ten months of 1999 was 750. The highest number held on any one night during this period was 779 on 22 June 1999 and the lowest was 693 on 4 January and 4 October.

Of the 784 prisoners in Mountjoy on 10 November, 604 had to slop-out. The remainder were accommodated in cells containing integral sanitation. The planned refurbishment of Mountjoy Prison over the next four years will include the installation of integral sanitation and the practice of slopping out will end. The refurbishment of Mountjoy has been made possible as a consequence of additional prison accommodation being available under the prison building programme.

I am hopeful that the levels of overcrowding experienced in the last number of years will diminish as the prison building programme advances. In this regard the first batches of prisoners moved into the new prison at Cloverhill last week. The population of Cloverhill will increase in a controlled way by transferring groups of prisoners from other prisons. This will play a significant role in reducing the number of prisoners accommodated in Mountjoy. All newly remanded prisoners will be committed to Cloverhill when it is fully operational early next year. The new women's prison at Mountjoy will take its first batch of prisoners next Monday. When fully operational shortly, this will free up a further 60 spaces which will revert to St Patrick's Institution. An additional 515 places will become available next spring with the opening of the new Midlands prison at Portlaoise. Planning for a further 800 spaces has commenced with a view to putting proposals to Government.

In addition to the building of new prison places, a major programme of refurbishing, upgrading, modernising and, where necessary, extending facilities is also continuing at existing prisons.