Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick East, Labour)
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Question 39: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the number of prisoners in jails at the latest date for which figures are available; if the prison population recently exceeded 4,000 for the first time eve r; the steps taken to deal with prison overcrowding; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46175/09]

Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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I wish to inform the Deputy that on 7 December 2009 there were 4,051 prisoners in custody. I can confirm that on several occasions recently the prison population has exceeded 4,000, the first instance of which was on 9 October 2009.

As the Deputy will appreciate the Irish Prison Service must accept all prisoners committed by the Courts into its custody and does not have the option of turning away committals. There has been a consistent increase in the total prisoner population over recent years. This situation is particularly apparent over the past 12 months during which time the total number in custody has increased by 379. This represents a 10% rise in the number in custody.

The Irish Prison Service has been engaged in an extensive programme of investment in prisons infrastructure which has involved both the modernisation of the existing estate and the provision of extra prison spaces. Since 1997 in excess of 1,670 new prison spaces have come on stream in the prison system. These include the new prisons in Castlerea, the Midlands, Cloverhill, the Dóchas Centre and new accommodation in Limerick, Portlaoise and Castlerea prisons and at the open centres in Shelton Abbey and Loughan House.

Current projects will see a further 250 prison spaces provided in the short term by means of:

A new block in Wheatfield Prison which will accommodate approximately 200 prisoners.

The re-opening of the Separation Unit in Mountjoy which will provide an additional 50 spaces.

In addition, work is expected to commence in 2010 on a new accommodation block in the Portlaoise/Midlands prisons complex which will provide 300 prison spaces.

By contrast, when the Deputy's Party was last in power, no additional prison places were constructed. Despite this significant investment, it is quite clear that in some of our prisons we are operating in excess of our bed capacity at this time. In the longer term, the Government remains firmly committed to replacing the prisons on the Mountjoy complex with modern prison accommodation at Thornton Hall. Building new prison facilities at Thornton Hall on a green field site will open up new opportunities for the development of structured regime activities which will support the more effective rehabilitation and resettlement of prisoners.

Question No. 40 answered with Question No. 6.