Mr. Aidan O'Driscoll:

The Department is talking to the Land Development Agency which has been established by the Government. How it now looks at Thornton Hall is as a strategic land bank available to the State. It was purchased and investments have been made, particularly in providing access roads and so on. On the advice of the Irish Prison Service, we have indicated that we should retain about 40 acres for potential use by the Irish Prison Service, but we are talking to the Land Development Agency about the the rest.