Ned O'Keeffe
Ceist:161 Mr. N. O'Keeffe asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the position in relation to the future of a prison (details supplied) in County Cork. [23752/03]
Adjournment Debate. - Prison Service.
I am aware of speculation in the media and elsewhere about the possible closure of Fort Mitchell place of detention and, indeed, other prisons and places of detention as part of measures to control prison costs generally. The position is that the efforts of the prison service to control costs in prisons are currently very much focused on reaching agreement with the Prison Officers' Association on a range of measures designed to significantly enhance the operational efficiency of prisons. The Prison Officers' Association is due to ballot its members on the proposals very shortly.
I must emphasise that the existing cost structure of the prison service is unsustainable. In the absence of agreement, the Government will decide urgently on measures which it has recently discussed to significantly reduce costs in the service. I do not believe it would be helpful or appropriate to outline at this time the measures which will be considered by Government if agreement cannot be reached with the Prison Officers' Association by the end of this month. I very much hope agreement can be reached very soon and that the necessary progress can be made on the basis of consensus.