Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)

Would the Minister consider amending the section at this late stage to prevent the incarceration of young offenders in Thornton Hall, which the Minister has suggested will be the consequence of the suggested timeframe to which the Minister envisages Mr. Bernard McNamara and his company sticking? This is due to the fact that the Department has not succeeded in lodging the planning application for the Lusk centre for young offenders.

The Minister stated that he could not stand over the over-incarceration of up to 130% in the Dóchas centre. However, material produced on this prison suggests over-incarceration of up to 160% because it is being built for 1,400 inmates but the Minister has stated several times that it will hold up to 2,200.

The Minister said this prison was driven by the best possible design and best practice. Since we do not have sight of the design we do not know if it lives up to his claims until it is completed, people are housed in it and the staff move in. I do not know how the Minister can stand over those claims since we do not have sight of the design or the particulars.

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