Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)

On the issue of flooding, in the context of the liaison committee I have no doubt the Irish Prison Service and consultants will provide information from the report on the relevant aspects of flooding. I ask everyone, including Deputies from the constituency, to exhort those who have property in the vicinity to allow access, if required, to clean out drains.

The concerns raised by residents relate to operational issues. I have given a commitment to establish a liaison committee which could deal with their concerns. I do not envisage any major amendments being made to the proposals, nor do I envisage it being necessary to revert to the House in that respect.

On the cordon sanitaire, we are not prepared to reduce its size from the existing distance of 40 m. However, in certain locations where it is contiguous to houses, it has been narrowed to allay some of the fears of residents. I assure Deputy Ó Snodaigh that I have been very up-front on the issue of the height of the buildings. I indicated at previous committee meetings that every building will be two storeys in height, apart from the tower, which will be three storeys high. The facility will not be an obtrusive building from a height point of view.

The 100-bed unit will be held vacant in the early stages but may well over time be required for extra prison space. As I stated, it is normal practice to have a facility of this type. It is better that anyone who may be deported be placed in a specific location in a detention centre where he or she will not mix with the normal prisoner population.

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