Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 4 April 2007
50 Mr. Eamon Ryan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the efforts being made to alleviate the ongoing problems of overcrowding in Cork Prison; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12996/07]
View answerThe total number of prisoners in custody on 2 April, 2007 was 3,283 compared with a bed capacity of 3,416. This represents an occupancy level of 96%.
The prison system is, of course, subject to peaks and troughs. Numbers are particularly high when the courts are at their busiest, giving rise to a high number of committals. This is not unusual at this time of year. As a result, almost all of the closed institutions, including Cork Prison, come under pressure. In order to address this problem, the Irish Prison Service approves regular transfers out of affected prisons to other locations in order to prevent unacceptable occupancy levels.
In the long term, the Deputy will be aware of my intention to replace Cork Prison with a new facility in the Munster area, which will make a substantial contribution to addressing accommodation issues for prisoners in the province.
