Jail site a scandalous waste of public funds
Of course it’s easy to play fast and loose with someone else’s (the taxpayer’s) money, and no doubt there will be no accountability either politically or within the OPW. There now needs to be an urgent review of property deals being conducted by the OPW to ensure that this scandalous waste and incompetence is not repeated.
The purchase of Thornton Hall in north Co Dublin as a site for a replacement Mountjoy is another example of this incredible waste of money. An expert committee comprising members from the OPW, the Irish Prison Service, the Department of Justice and an outside adviser were given the task of finding a site, within 5km of the M50, ready for immediate development, with good infrastructure and public transport.
They agreed to purchase a farm worth around €5m for €30m, with no sewage, no water supply, no piped gas, poor electricity, no public transport and totally inadequate infrastructure. The site was submitted, considered and a decision to purchase made at one meeting.
Since the decision to buy the site was announced the Prison Service and the OPW, rather than admitting they got it wrong, are busily spending more taxpayers’ money trying to make the site fit their criteria.
An invitation to tender has been issued asking engineering companies to tender for various site inspection processes - all of which should have been completed prior to a decision to purchase.
By the time they are finished spending money on a pumped sewage connection, upgrading electricity, building a road, laying pipes to a water main, etc, the €30m spent on the site will seem like peanuts compared to the total cost of getting the site available for development. Oh, and in case you have forgotten - they still have to build a prison.
Not to worry, the taxpayer is good for the €400m or so required. The deal to purchase Thornton Hall can be called off - and now is the time to do it.
Marie Manning
Kilsallaghan
Co Dublin
