Vol. 512 No. 1
204 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform his views on whether the number of prison spaces available is sufficient to meet his Department's current estimates of anticipated demand; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25652/99]
205 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the position in relation to the prisons building programme; whether the number of prison places currently available arising from this programme is sufficient to meet previously anticipated requirements; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25653/99]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 204 and 205 together.
Under the current prisons building programme an additional 1,207 prison places will have been built by the first quarter of 2000. Of these, 212 places are already operational. The 400 places at Cloverhill will be phased into operation over the next three to four months and the new women's prison at Mountjoy with 80 places will become fully operational before Christmas. The remaining 515 places in the midlands prison are on target for completion in March 2000.
An additional 90 places will arise from the necessary replacement of one old, unsafe, unsuitable and inefficient cell block in each of two existing prisons, Limerick and Portlaoise.
