Noel Ahern (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)

The same position applies in the Garda investigation into the incident and they had indicated they had no further requirement of the crime scene for their criminal investigation.

Normal procedure following a serious criminal incident in a prison is that the scene of the crime is sealed and preserved until the gardaí have concluded their examination. In normal circumstances, the area would then be cleaned and brought back into commission in its previous use. In this case it was clear that such a course of action would be completely inappropriate and the Director General of the Irish Prison Service made the decision, in the immediate aftermath of the incident, that for operational reasons, the holding cells would be closed with immediate effect and that they would no longer accommodate prisoners.

The Tánaiste has repeatedly stated on the record that Mountjoy Prison is an unsuitable prison for the requirements placed upon it and that it is incapable of acting as a modern place of rehabilitation and detention for sentenced persons. It is past its sell by date——

See this speech in context