Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 21 July 2020
584. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the estimated cost of providing in-cell sanitation or other arrangements to cease the practice of slopping out to each prisoner within Portlaoise prison. [16763/20]
View answerThe provision of safe and secure custody and dignity of care to those individuals in the penal system in Ireland is a priority area for the Department and the Irish Prison Service (IPS).
The IPS commits in its capital strategy plan 2016-2021 to a prison estate that provides safe, secure and humane custody, that upholds the dignity of all users, and that reflects and supports a modern and progressive penal policy. It identifies as a priority the full elimination of the practice referred to as ‘slopping out’, through provision of in-cell sanitation throughout the prison estate.
Very significant progress has already been made, to the extent that the practice has now been virtually eliminated in Irish prisons: in-cell sanitation is now in place for 99% of prisoners in Irish prisons.
Some of the relevant works completed to date include the installation of in-cell sanitation at Mountjoy Prison and the opening of a new prison in Cork in 2016. The construction of new facilities in Limerick has also commenced.
I am advised by the Irish Prison Service that a feasibility study on the options to improve cellular accommodation including the provision of in-cell sanitation at E block, Portlaoise Prison, is being prepared. I understand that the other cell blocks at Portlaoise already have in-cell sanitation in place.
I am informed that it is not possible to give an accurate estimate of the cost involved in provision of in-cell sanitation for the E block at Portlaoise at this time, pending the completion of the feasibility study and the preparation of a scope of works on the work to be undertaken, completion of necessary engineering surveys, which are required for the preparation of an estimate of costs. The Deputy may however be interested to know that I am informed by the IPS that it is hoped an invitation to tender for necessary works will be issued to the market in the first quarter of 2021, subject to funding.
When completed, this work and the redevelopment of Limerick Prison, which is currently in progress, will see the full elimination of slopping in the prison estate. The Deputy may be interested to know that the total budget for the overall Limerick project is €71.5million. I understand that the contract for the construction of these works was awarded in February 2019 and that the project is currently scheduled for completion in the last quarter of 2021.
