Charles Flanagan (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)

What is the position on the Fines Bill which, according to the Order Paper, is before the Houses? However, it is not actually before this House or the Seanad. I do not know where it is but it must be resurrected and passed to address anomalies associated with the prisoner population. The latest official figures, those for 2008, show there are more inmates in prison for theft and shoplifting than there are for violent crimes such as murder, manslaughter and sexual offences. There are 647 people in jail for non-violent offences relating to property. This compares with 226 for murder, 82 for manslaughter and 230 for sexual offences.

Adequate staff must be provided to ensure safety and build bridges between prisoners and staff. The Government must ensure the provision of a frequent public transport service from Dublin city centre to the prison and also its visitor centre, which should be a modern building with refreshment facilities for those visiting their family or friends in prison.

We need a commitment to increase dramatically the funding for the probation and welfare service and ring-fenced funding for projects such as Linkage, an important and positive development. I welcome the Minister's commitment to develop the restorative justice programme, on which I look forward to receiving the final report which I understand may be forthcoming this year. I hope we can debate it in the House.

I heard what the Minister said on asylum seeker detention. He used the word "systematic" in a systematic way and is attempting to speak out of both sides of his mouth. Will there be on the Thornton Hall site a holding centre, detention centre or unit for asylum seekers? The use of the word "systematic" is direct and deliberate on the part of the Minister. It is against international best practice to use a prison building or jail campus as a holding centre or detention unit.

I have many questions for the Minister. Is there a facility, whereby my questions can be allowed later, as they give rise to certain issues? For example, there is a reference to the Central Mental Hospital not being "within the site" of the prison. This is a clever statement but we must ask whether the hospital will be adjacent to the site. With others, I would have a difficulty with this. Local concerns were not dealt with adequately at meetings of the committee but need to be.

We discussed the issue of designing, building and maintaining the facility at a meeting of the committee. What private sector involvement will there be, if any, in the management, running and maintenance of the prison? The State should retain total control of whatever building is constructed. This is a most important issue that we did not have time to discuss at the meeting of the committee. I beg the Leas-Cheann Comhairle's indulgence such that we might revert to the matter between now and the close of business.

I ask the Minister to take on board my concerns and ensure there will be a prisons policy, separate from the current ad hoc arrangements, that will allow us to adhere not only to national best practice but also to international standards.

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