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Prison Accommodation.

Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 17 November 2004

Wednesday, 17 November 2004

Questions (364)

Joe Costello

Question:

404 Mr. Costello asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the maximum number that Clover Hill Prison is designed to accommodate; the maximum number there was at any time over the past month; the maximum time a deportee has been held there; the deportees who are being held alongside convicted criminals or persons being deported for other than asylum related reasons; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28909/04]

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Written answers

Clover Hill Prison is the committal prison for persons sent to prison by the courts in the Dublin and Leinster areas, on remand or awaiting trial. It was designed with a capacity of 400 prisoners, Following some "doubling up", it has a bed capacity for 433 prisoners. On 15 November 2004, 412 prisoners were detained there. I am informed that the highest occupancy level over the past month was 452.

Persons detained for deportation are treated as remand prisoners — they are subject to the same regime and receive the same privileges. Deportation prisoners are predominantly accommodated on the C division of the prison, along with other non-national prisoners. The power to detain those who are the subject of a deportation order is provided for in section 5 of the Immigration Act 1999, as amended by section 10 of the Illegal Immigrants (Trafficking) Act 2000. Persons can be detained for failing to comply with the requirements of a deportation order or to ensure their removal from the State. The Garda national immigration bureau, which is responsible for removals, makes every effort to keep the period of detention to a minimum. While I am unable to provide details on the longest period spent in custody by a person awaiting deportation, I can inform the Deputy that the earliest date that any person currently awaiting deportation was committed to custody for this reason was 5 October 2004. All others awaiting deportation were committed to prison after that date.

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