Charles Flanagan (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)

The Minister indicated that the Thornton Hall project was always a long-term project. I put it to him that the phrase "long-term" has a much different meaning now than it had on the previous occasion we addressed this issue. The Minister uses the phrase as if the latest development was not a setback.

Is the Minister prepared to stand over spending in excess of €40 million of taxpayers' money to date on this project? Does he regard a price of €29.9 million for 150 acres as good and reasonable value in the circumstances? Will he provide full and detailed particulars of the costs of the project to date? Will he confirm that legal and specialist consultancy fees amount to in excess of €6 million? Will he provide a full breakdown of moneys expended over and above the €29.9 million figure, which is a matter of record? Will he address specifically the €11 million in additional expenditure on the project?

In the context of moneys, what are the ongoing maintenance costs of the Thornton Hall site? Will we have another fiasco along the lines of the electronic voting machines, with annual costs having to be met? I understand millions of euro have been spent at the site on landscaping and fencing to deny access to people who wish to shoot pheasants. To what ongoing maintenance costs has the Minister signed up?

In terms of the options available to the Minister, will he outline his short-term plans to address the chronic overcrowding in our prisons which has rendered Mountjoy Prison a dangerous and inhumane place?

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