Approximately 400 letters have been received in my Department from solicitors representing former and serving inmates in this State alleging that their clients' human rights have been violated due to the practice of slopping out. The majority of cases relate to inmates imprisoned in Cork, Limerick and Portlaoise Prisons. I have instructed the Irish Prison Service to contest these claims vigorously.
Construction on a new accommodation block for 150 inmates at Portlaoise Prison will commence shortly and be completed by 2007. As the costs and operational issues of retrofitting in-cell sanitation in Mountjoy and Cork Prisons is prohibitive, the Irish Prison Service is looking to develop new state-of-the-art prison facilities on greenfield sites. In the case of Mountjoy Prison, a site has recently been purchased. With regard to Cork Prison, my officials and the Office of Public Works are examining plans for a new prison development on Spike Island.