Prison closures do not mean fewer spaces
In our programme for Government, we recognised the need both to expand the number of prison places and indeed modernise our facilities.
While we have created more places, we have to go further. It is not acceptable in this day and age to subject prisoners to the slopping-out process which takes place in some of our older prisons each morning.
The Government’s decision to replace the Mountjoy complex with a modern prison facility will go a significant way towards ensuring that such practices are eradicated from the Irish prison system.
The new site at Thornton Hall will provide a modern complex with the capacity to deal with a greater number of prisoners for a growing population. A new high capacity prison is also to be built on Spike Island. This new facility will replace the existing Fort Mitchell detention centre on the island as well as the existing Cork Prison.
Cork Prison suffers from chronic overcrowding and extending it is simply not feasible. The investment and delivery of both of these new facilities which will provide more prison places is evidence of this government’s continued commitment to zero tolerance.
Billy Kelleher TD
Deputy Chief Whip
Dáil Eireann
Leinster House
Dublin 2.
