Catherine Murphy
Question:
170. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Justice the annual security cost of keeping Thornton Hall for the past three years to date; the last time and the due time for renewal of the contract to keep the site secured; the rates paid and or due on the site historically; and her plans to dispose of or develop the site. [13751/21]
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Catherine Murphy
Question:
177. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Justice the position regarding a project (details supplied); her plans for the fully serviced site; the cost of maintaining the site in each of the past three years and to date in 2021; the cost of security of the site for the past three years to date; if she has requested a market valuation of the site; if the working group in her Department has produced a report on the site; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13760/21]
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 170 and 177 together.
I have requested the information sought by the Deputy from the Irish Prison Service and will contact the Deputy as soon as it is available.
The following deferred reply was received under Standing Order 51
I refer to your recent Parliamentary Questions Numbers 170 and 177 for written answer on 11 March, 2021 which asked for:
“the annual security cost of keeping Thornton Hall for the past three years to date; the last time and the due time for renewal of the contract to keep the site secured; the rates paid and or due on the site historically; and her plans to dispose of or develop the site” and
“the position regarding a project (details supplied); her plans for the fully serviced site; the cost of maintaining the site in each of the past three years and to date in 2021; the cost of security of the site for the past three years to date; if she has requested a market valuation of the site; if the working group in her Department has produced a report on the site; and if she will make a statement on the matter
Details Supplied (Thornton Hall)”.
You will recall that the detailed information on costs was not readily available at that time and I undertook to respond to you as soon as possible with the relevant information. I can advise that my officials in the Irish Prison Service have collated the information which is set out below.
Details of expenditure incurred by the Irish Prison Service on the Thornton Hall site and house over the past 3 years are set out in Table 1 below. I can advise that the Irish Prison Service has not incurred any ongoing annual costs for the provision of security at the site over the last three years. The figures set out below include costs for security related works carried out to enhance security.
Security provision at the house and site comprises a mix of traditional security measures such as physical barriers, gates, fences, electronic systems including CCTV and monitored alarms.
Additional expenditure totalling €319,051 was incurred in 2020 for maintenance and repairs at Thornton Hall house including works to repair water damage. A more detailed breakdown of additional costs incurred in 2020 is set out in Table 2 below.
The Irish Prison Service has a statutory obligation to maintain the property as it is a protected structure under the Planning and Development Act. I am advised that there have been incidents of trespass at the site which necessitated expenditure to strengthen physical barriers at the boundary supplemented by additional electronic security measures.
Costs were also incurred undertaking repairs to damage done to neighbouring property arising from the trespass incidents, removal of debris from the site and general cleaning of the area.
I can further advise that the Irish Prison Service does not pay rates in respect of any of its properties.
The Working Group referred to by the Deputy completed its report and the options set out in the report continue to be kept under review. The Irish Prison Service has had preliminary discussions with the Land Development Agency about the options to develop a portion of the site in question. All options for the future development of the site at Thornton Hall are kept under continuous review having regard to current and future operational requirements of the Service.
The following tables outlines the costs in respect of ongoing maintenance, boundary treatments, repairs to Thornton Hall house and related utility cost for the three years to end February 2021.
Table 1 Expenditure by Year
|
Year
|
Expenditure €
|
|
2018
|
51,903
|
|
2019
|
63,037
|
|
2020
|
325,839
|
|
To end February 2021
|
2,493
|
Table 2. Expenditure incurred in 2020
|
Expenditure description
|
2020 Expenditure €
|
|
Utilities
|
6,789
|
|
Security works for protection of site
|
64,250
|
|
Work on Gate[1]
|
86,039
|
|
Clean-up after site trespass
|
55,786
|
|
Basement works
|
61,778
|
|
Building Maintenance work (shed roof, house floor repairs)
|
23,706
|
|
Other costs including fencing, hedge cutting and conservation report
|
27,491
|
|
Total
|
325,839
|
[1]
There is a substantial splay at the entrance to the access road which, in order to secure the site, required the installation of a newly designed motorised steel gate that gate requiring additional engineering works including the
- Digging of trench along the access road to connect to the nearest electricity supply for the new gate including CCTV,
- Installation of new motorised gate and CCTV
- Installation of new palisade fence, approximately 35 metres in length
