Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)

We are dealing with facilities in small-scale institutions. What is in Kilsallaghan now is a combination of small-scale institutions. I would have welcomed engagement with the Minister at an earlier stage of this process to talk more about these small-scale institutions and how they will be configured on the new Kilsallaghan site. However, we did not get that. We have not got a statement from the Minister on his approach to penal reform, philosophy on imprisonment etc., or his contention that building more prison places does not mean that they will automatically be filled. I believe that in 1887 it was decided that there should be one person to one cell. However, by adverting to the fact that we could double up here, the Minister can subsequently say that he has the approval of Parliament for doubling up on the new site in Kilsallaghan if necessary.

I hope we will get the opportunity to raise some other issues I wanted to deal with. We did not mention the difficulties raised by the residents' association, which as recently as today has again sent in a submission listing the areas not addressed as this debate has proceeded from discussion in the joint committee to here. It raised a number of issues about the imperfections of the EIA and of matters it felt were not taken on board. I would like to hear the Minister give a more detailed response to the Rolestown and St. Margaret's Action Group before we conclude this debate.

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