Super prison must face normal planning restrictions

Plans for a super prison in rural Co Dublin should be subject to normal environmental and planning regulations, it was claimed today.

The Justice Department wants to build a facility to replace Mountjoy Prison on a 150-acre site it purchased for €30m at Thornton Hall, north Co Dublin.

Prisons are currently exempt from normal planning legislation, including the requirement for Environmental Impact Assessment.

The local Rolestown St Margaret’s Action Group (RSMAG) in Kilsallaghan, north Co Dublin today delivered themed Christmas cards to Taoiseach Bertie Ahern and all Dail TDs.

The cards are titled ’All we want for Christmas is Democracy’ and depict local historical landmarks on the development site.

“This could be the last Christmas that Thornton is a rural area,” said RSMAG spokesperson Nessa Shevlin.

“This massive super prison will destroy our way of life, and our heritage, which once gone is lost forever.

“It has already cost the taxpayers €30m to buy Thornton hall farm - and it’s just not suitable. ”

The group challenged the Minister for Justice to open up the proposed development to the same planning requirements that would apply to any other development of its size in a rural area.

“We don’t believe that the purpose of this exemption was to allow a Minister to drop a prison anywhere – regardless of its environmental effects and general suitability,” added Ms Shevlin.

The Green Party is already challenging the development in the European Parliament.

“To allow a development of this size to go ahead without full environmental and planning assessment makes a mockery of the role of local authorities and undermines local democracy,” she added.

RSMAG called on the Minister for the Environment to insist that the development is subject to normal environmental and planning legislation.

“The local community in Kilsallaghan want their democratic right to have a say in the future of their community,” added Ms Shevlin.