Cork jail to be moved next to current site

The Government is to build a new prison in Cork City rather than proceed with a planned super-jail in North Cork which would have catered for all prisoners in Munster.

Justice Minister Alan Shatter said that, given the current financial situation, it would not be prudent to build the super-jail at Kilworth, on 150 acres of land owned by the Department of Defence.

In Jan 2007 the then minister, Michael McDowell, said that instead of modernising the antiquated prisons in Cork and Limerick he intended to build a 400-cell jail at Kilworth.