Tim O'Malley (Limerick East, Progressive Democrats)

He has been here and to suggest that he is afraid to come into the House is somewhat frivolous. I am glad to have the opportunity to reply to Deputy Costello on behalf of the Minister to outline the reasons for replacing Mountjoy Prison with a prison complex in north County Dublin. The Minister has made it clear that he has for some time been planning a move for the Mountjoy site to a new site in County Dublin. The largely antiquated buildings on the existing site, which is approximately 20 acres in total and surrounded by high density housing, and the difficulty of carrying out extensive renovations with the prisoner population in situ, pose insuperable difficulties for maintaining the existing location. The current Mountjoy site is too small to allow any significant improvement in facilities for prisoners. Another substantive difficulty is that the current facilities are poor by modern penal standards. A new prison complex will deliver significant improvements in conditions for both prisoners and staff.

The Minister has personally inspected the conditions in Mountjoy Prison and come to the clear view that it falls so far short of the requirements of a modern prison and the needs of prisoners and staff, that replacement of the prison complex, rather than refurbishment of the existing facilities, is the only realistic option. The Minister's view is shared and advocated by reports on Mountjoy from both the prison board and the Inspector of Prisons and Places of Detention, and by strong and consistent criticism of the existing facilities by a committee of the Council of Europe and other organisations concerned with the welfare of prisoners. The Minister has directed the Director General of the Prison Service to make an immediate start on planning for the new prison facility.

The total refurbishment of the Mountjoy complex on its present site would last longer, be more disruptive to the prison system and ultimately be far more costly and less satisfactory than the construction of a new complex. The running costs of a refurbished Mountjoy would also be much higher than those of a completely new prison complex.

A number of serious issues arise in any refurbishment of a live prison as old as Mountjoy. There is no in-cell sanitation in Mountjoy and, for operational reasons, it is not a viable option to install same. The result is slopping out. There are also numerous structural difficulties such as cell doors and doorways which are significantly smaller than other prisons and cell windows which are small and do not provide sufficient light or ventilation. Walkways are narrow and in poor condition and there are insufficient bridges between them. The heating system is also in a fragile condition, the wings are dark with insufficient natural light in cells and common areas. Central services, that is, water, sewerage, and power, were designed for a Victorian building and must be replaced to modern standards to meet legal requirements. We need a civilised modern prison with adequate facilities — medical, recreational, training and rehabilitative.

The benefits which will result from moving to a green field site greatly outweigh the case for refurbishment of Mountjoy Prison. It is currently estimated that the cost of renovating a single wing at Mountjoy Prison would be between €25 million and €30 million. The provision of a new modern building with the full range of emerging prison technologies, including modern facilities, will greatly improve conditions both for staff and offenders and will result in significant savings in operational costs. Outdoor recreation and yard space will be enhanced, as will visiting facilities including family friendly facilities such as a crèche and playground. Special transport links will be provided for visitors to the new prison.

St. Patrick's Institution and the Dóchas Centre are no longer adequate. St. Patrick's is unsuitable for young offenders and the recently constructed Dóchas Centre is already completely inadequate in terms of size. The training unit at Mountjoy is also obsolescent even though it is relatively new.

The cost of the new site has been questioned by some Deputies. The position is that early last year a public advertisement was placed in the national newspapers inviting landowners to put forward suitable sites for sale in the greater Dublin area. The average asking price of land owners who responded to that advertisement was above €200,000 per acre, with some owners seeking as much as €500,000 per acre. More than 30 sites were examined by an expert committee comprising representatives of the Office of Public Works, the Irish Prison Service and the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform. However, only five sites were deemed to be suitable for consideration as a site for the new facility. The purchase price of the site finally selected, which worked out at €199,333 per acre, was lower than the asking price for the other suitable sites.

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