Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)

The information requested by the Deputy is set out in the table. It is the case that there has been a consistent increase in the total prisoner population over recent years. This situation is particularly apparent over the past 12 months, during which time the total number in custody has increased by approximately 280. There are a number of reasons for this increase. With the extra resources provided by this Government, the Garda Síochána has been increasingly successful in prosecuting criminals and additional court sittings have resulted in higher committal rates.

The number in custody has risen by 8% and the total number of persons in custody and on temporary release has increased by 15.5%. The provision of an additional 1,300 prison places in recent years has largely addressed the issue of overcrowding, which had been a chronic problem for the prison system. It is my view that the continuation of the current capital programme is necessary if overcrowding is not to become a problem in the future.

It has to be acknowledged that the Irish Prison Service must accept all prisoners committed by the courts. Figures from the past 12 years reveal that the numbers in custody have increased by 65% and the numbers on temporary release have decreased by 34%. More recently the number of committals to our prisons in 2007 was 9,711, of which 6,455 were under sentence. The average daily prison population in custody in 2007 was 3,321.

It is quite clear that we are currently operating in excess of our bed capacity in some of our prisons. In the short to medium term this issue will be addressed by the provision of 400 prison places by summer 2009 in a new remand block due to be completed in early 2009 in Castlerea Prison which will accommodate approximately 100 prisoners, a new block in Portlaoise Prison due to open in the coming months which will accommodate approximately 150 prisoners and a new block in Wheatfield Prison accommodating 150 prisoners which is due to be completed in summer 2009. Most recently, over 30 additional places have been made available at the open centre at Shelton Abbey and a further 40 places have been developed at the open centre at Loughan House. It should also be borne in mind that our prisons have contingency plans in place whereby they can accommodate numbers above their ideal working capacities. These new developments will serve the prison service until the opening of the new prison complex at Thornton Hall. This prison is designed to accommodate 1,408 prisoners based on single cell occupancy in a range of prison facilities. For operational flexibility reasons, the design has the capacity to accommodate up to 2,200 prisoners in a multiple occupancy arrangement. This flexibility will future proof the development in capacity terms for the next 50 years.

The Irish Prison Service capital programme will also ensure the elimination of the unacceptable practice of slopping out and will effectively complete the modernisation of the prison estate. The prison estate will be comparable to best international practice in terms of accommodation, facilities and services for the rehabilitation and reintegration of prisoners into society. The Government and the Irish Prison Service have anticipated the demand for prison spaces and have acted accordingly.

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