Jail revamp nullifies new prison plan - protesters

Plans to revamp Spike Island jail in Cork cancel out the need for a controversial new €500m prison in north Co Dublin, it was claimed today.

Senior prison sources confirmed the revamp was on the cards, but stressed it would not take the place of Thornton Hall – the new home for Mountjoy and the Central Mental Hospital.

Campaigners against the Dublin site questioned why so much money was being spent on the facility when Spike Island could be redeveloped to cater for more prisoners.

Some 2,000 residents fighting the Thornton Hall plan, the Rolestown/St Margaret’s Action group (RSMAG), have warned millions extra will have to be spent upgrading infrastructure to cater for prisoners and visitors.

“Portlaoise prison is to undergo a major redevelopment, extra space will come onstream in Spike Island in the next couple of years and yet the Government wants to push ahead with a plan to build on an unsuitable site in north County Dublin,” said Ness Shevlin, RSMAG spokeswoman.

The Department of Justice has planned that the Thornton Hall centre on a 150-acre greenfield site several miles from the capital will replace the antiquated Mountjoy jail in 2008.

The Irish Prison Service is conducting a study into developing Spike Island which would relieve pressure for space on jails in Dublin and Munster, it was confirmed.

A senior prison source said: “We are not reopening the prison that is there at the moment, that’s not going to happen. We are considering a new facility on the island and linking that to the mainland with a bridge.

“We have been exploring for a while the possibility of a new prison for Spike Island.”

But Ms Shevlin claimed: “No credible policy has been put forward on how the prison service will evolve. Instead there appears to be piecemeal development.

“Part of that piecemeal development are plans to sign off on a deal where 150 acres of land in north county Dublin will be turned into a super prison at the cost of destroying our Community, our environment and a valuable heritage site.

“The country’s taxpayers need accountability on this issue, not their signature on an open cheque to build an unnecessary super prison.”

The source said that security issues were the key to redeveloping Spike Island and added that it would ease pressure on Cork, Limerick and Dublin jails.

Cork prison has been the source of many problems recently with inmates still forced to slop out while drugs parcels are often thrown over prison walls.

It is understood Spike jail could house up to 600 prisoners, with a small facility for female prisoners.

The Thornton Hall site could house a total of 1,000 inmates replicating Mountjoy with a women’s section, a young offenders centre and a more open training unit to prepare prisoners for parole.

Ms Shevlin called for a halt to plans for Thornton Hall before the local community in north Dublin was destroyed.

“Mountjoy jail is in an ideal location in terms of accessibility and available services and it can, and should, be redeveloped to improve conditions for prisoners,” she said.

“Extra spaces are being created in the south and midlands. There is no reason why facilities at the Curragh could not also be extended.”

The 30 million euro deal to secure the land for Thornton Hall is due to be completed in October. It is also expected plans will be submitted to develop road, sewerage and water services for the area.