Vol. 486 No. 6
39 Mr. Gormley asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the steps, if any, being taken to ensure that prisoners on remand are dealt with within the prison system in a totally separate way from prisoners who have been convicted. [3128/98]
It would be wholly desirable that unsentenced persons should be accommodated separately from the main population of sentenced prisoners. In this jurisdiction, however, it is not possible to adhere to this principle as fully as we would wish because of serious overcrowding in our prison system particularly in the committal prisons. Accordingly, a small percentage of prisoners who are remanded in custody by the courts, are not accommodated separately but they are, in all other respects, treated in accordance with their remand status.
Construction of a new remand prison, on the site adjoining Wheatfield Place of Detention, is well advanced. This purpose-designed, modern facility, which will accommodate 400 prisoners, is due for completion by the end of this year. When completed, it is envisaged that all male remand prisoners committed from the Dublin-Leinster area will be accommodated there.
Where female remand prisoners are concerned, the new women's prison, now under construction at Crowley Place beside Mountjoy Prison, will provide for the separation of remand and sentenced prisoners. This facility will be completed and ready for occupation within the next year or so.
