Frank Fahey (Galway West, Fianna Fail)

I welcome the opportunity to address the House on this matter. We have consistently heard criticism from Opposition Deputies of delays in implementing infrastructural projects. Social commentators are forever banging on at us about the lack of so-called joined-up Government. Despite this, when the Minister, Deputy McDowell, presses forward with a bold initiative to replace the 155 year old, outmoded and inefficient design that is Mountjoy with a modern, efficient prison complex, the chattering classes rush to condemn him.

When the Government moves decisively to ensure prisoners are kept in humane conditions and have access to facilities, including psychiatric facilities that will assist in their rehabilitation, we are berated for recklessness and undue haste. How many more years would the Opposition parties have us wait before we take action to alleviate the shameful conditions that have resulted in persistent calls to replace Mountjoy?

The independent Irish Prisons Board, chaired by businessman Brian McCarthy, strongly urged the Minister not to attempt a refit at Mountjoy Prison but to go the replacement route which we are now rolling out with the acquisition of Thornton Hall.

Redeveloping the existing 20-acre site at Mountjoy Prison is neither financially viable, at an estimated cost of in excess of €400 million, nor practical from an operational or developmental perspective. Trying to fix Mountjoy Prison now would be like re-wiring a house with the lights still on. However, we have had calls from Opposition Deputies to do just that. Where would we put the 1,000 or so prisoners we hold there in the interim? Would we keep them all living on a building site? Where is the value for money in that? The development of a greenfield site at the 150-acre site at Thornton means that we will have the room to develop new facilities, introduce single person cells with in-cell sanitation and end the medieval practice of slopping out every morning and after every lock up period through the day. Deputies will readily appreciate that the size of the Thornton site gives us considerable flexibility in developing new facilities as well as allowing us plan for the future.

Contrary to the assertion of the Deputies opposite that we are wasting taxpayers' money, the Prison Service estimates that by replacing the Mountjoy Prison complex with a new prison complex at Thornton we should achieve operational savings of €30 million to €40 million each year. This represents more than the total cost of the site in one year's savings. In addition, the proceeds from the disposal of the site at Mountjoy Prison, in the region of €60 million to €90 million, will offset to a considerable degree the cost of the new development at Thornton. The acquisition of the site also means that the Mountjoy site will be available for development of a variety of facilities. This would undoubtedly rejuvenate the whole area around Mountjoy, and would benefit the local community. Surely Deputies across the floor should welcome this. One Deputy who represents the area, Deputy Costello, should consult his constituents on their preferences in this respect.

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