Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 9 March 2004
391 Mr. Wall asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the position in regard to the closure of the Curragh Prison; if all the prisoners and staff have been relocated; if the educational system that was in place in the Curragh is being repeated in Portlaoise; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7839/04]
View answerThe Curragh Place of Detention closed on 20 January 2004. The majority of the prisoners detained there were transferred to the Midlands Prison at that time. Most of the Irish Prison Service staff who were assigned to the Curragh have been temporarily redeployed to duties in the Midlands Prison and one prison officer was temporarily redeployed to Limerick Prison. Arrangements whereby a small cohort of prison staff continue to be assigned to duties at the Curragh Prison are being kept under continuing review.
I am informed that the staff of the education unit of the Curragh Place of Detention, who are employed by County Kildare VEC, have continued to report there pending the outcome of negotiations on terms and conditions of teacher secondments to the Midlands Prison. It is hoped that both these negotiations and the fitting out of additional classrooms at the Midlands Prison will be completed shortly to enable education to be provided for prisoners transferred from the Curragh.
