Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Thursday, 25 Jan 1996

Vol. 460 No. 5

Written Answers. - Prison Building Programme.

Brian Cowen

Ceist:

77 Mr. Cowen asked the Minister for Justice her Department's attitude to the prospect of seeking private sector investment for a prison building programme; the consideration, if any, that has been given to this idea; the steps, if any, it is intended to take in the near future to seek tenders from interested parties for this purpose regarding possible construct and leaseback arrangements as a method of funding such a programme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1690/96]

Minister for Justice (Mrs. Owen)

Use of private sector funding and `build and lease-back' arrangements for the provision of prison accommodation are options which have been suggested to my Department, but no specific proposals have been fully investigated. This system of `build and lease-back' has been used mostly for decentralisation projects of Government Departments. There would be implications for prison buildings (security etc.) which would have to be taken into account if such a system was being actively considered.

Ultimately it is a matter of assessing which option represents best value for the State in the longer term. In this regard, I propose to consult my colleague the Minister for Finance with a view to ensuring that the financing method chosen in any particular case would be that which produced optimum benefit to the State.