State purchase of prison site for €29.9m was ‘too much’
The Comptroller and Auditor General, John Purcell claimed the site at Thornton Hall could have been bought “at a much lower price” than the €29.9m purchase price paid by the State.
The C&AG’s report explained the high purchase price was largely attributable to the decision to disclose the Government’s interest in acquiring a site for a prison, rather than to try and buy such a property through a confidential third party. As a result, the State was forced to pay a high premium.
