Vol. 438 No. 3
9 Mr. Cullen asked the Minister for Justice the plans, if any, she has for the building of a new jail as announced recently; the locations which are being actively considered by the Government; the criteria being adopted for the proposed location; the amount of money that has been spent by way of planning for the proposed location; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
70 Mr. Connor asked the Minister for Justice if, in view of her undertaking in her statement of 14 December 1993 to provide 210 additional prison places, the closed St. Patrick's Psychiatric Hospital in Castlerea, County Roscommon, is being considered as one of the options for the location of a new prison; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
I propose to take Questions Nos. 9 and 70 together.
As announced in my comprehensive law and order package on 14 December 1993, the Government has approved the provision of 210 additional prison spaces, including a new, purpose-designed custodial facility for women to accommodate up to 60 offenders. To avoid any doubt I should say that the new facility for women will replace the existing facility in Mountjoy which will then be used to accommodate male offenders.
The location of the new prison spaces will be a matter for specific decision by the Government and it would be inappropriate for me to comment in advance of that decision on the options being considered. The criteria that may be expected to be taken into account by the Government in deciding on locations include site availability, convenience within the prison system, any need for prisoner dispersal, the case for decentralisation, costs of development, ease and efficiency of operation and general management requirements.
The weight given to these criteria respectively will be determined by the needs of the particular prisoner population to be accommodated. Planning for the new accommodation has not yet reached a stage where costs other than those associated with staff time are being incurred in the operation.
Is there any truth in the rumour that a site in the west is being considered for the new jail?
Yes, I can confirm that one of the sites which is being considered in the Department is located in the west.
Is the site being considered in the Minister's constituency? Can she tell the House whether the prison will be a women's prison? I recall the original plan for Wheatfield was that it would be a women's prison. Can the Minister assure the House that when this prison is built it will be used as a women's prison?
First, as the Deputy well knows the site is not located in my constituency. Second, this will be a specially dedicated women's prison. It has been represented to me by women prisoners and the prison management and staff in Mountjoy, by the Joint Committee on Women's Rights and other concerned groups that the existing facility is totally unsuitable for the type of women prisoner we have to accommodate. Women prisoners have special needs and should be accommodated in a specially dedicated unit. The Deputy can be assured that it will be such a unit.
I anticipated an assurance from the Minister that the site would not be located in her constituency.
Why?
The Minister will recall what happened at Wheatfield when the Minister's colleague, Dr. Woods, then Minister for Justice, was not able to deal with the protests which accompanied the location of prisons. Is the Minister aware that about £12 million has been spent by her Department in designing prisons that have not been built? Will it be possible on this occasion to save money by using some or part of those designs rather than designing another prison at enormous cost to the taxpayer?
We have the funding for the prisons which have been agreed and, therefore, these prisons will be built. As they are public contracts a specific process has to be gone through. I am sure the Deputy would not suggest that that should be short circuited in any way. He can be assured that the proper process will be followed from beginning to end in relation to both projects.
In relation to Deputy Connor's question, will the Minister confirm whether the location of a new prison is Castlerea?
I said that the decision on location is a matter for Government. I gave the various criteria that Government will look at in deciding on the location and I confirmed to Deputy O'Donnell that one of the locations which is being considered for the male prison is a site in the west, Castlerea.
Given the need to consider the requirements of relatives to visit prisoners can the Minister indicate, on a national basis, where the bulk of our prison population come from? For example, are the prisoners who are housed in the main jails in Dublin from Dublin?
That is a separate question.
It is and I do not have that information with me. Certainly all those considerations will be taken into account, including easy access by families to visit prisoners as well as all the other criteria I outlined.
