Answers demanded on prison contract

A POWERFUL Dáil committee has written to the departments of Justice and Finance querying why about €100m of taxpayers’ money was spent on prison facilities without being subjected to a tendering process.

The cross-party Public Accounts Committee wants an explanation as to why a firm granted an original contract worth €4.7m then received a number of other lucrative contracts which were not put out to tender.

The issue first arose at a hearing of the committee last month, when Prison Service and Justice Department officials were questioned about a 2004 contract to build a new 60-bed unit at the Loughan House prison in Co Cavan.