Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)

It is not for me to speculate about the current value. The cost of the site at the time of purchase was €29.9 million, which was largely offset by the sale of prison lands at Shanganagh Castle, County Dublin. Thus, it was legitimate use of the existing prison stock in order to buy new stock. Further sums totalling approximately €11.7 million were expended on the project, including professional fees of €6.8 million, as I explained in the answer to the private notice question last week. There were two High Court actions challenging the process, and site preparation and surveys were carried out at a cost of €2.7 million. Landscaping cost €400,000 while security cost €500,000. The access road, which had to be developed because of lobbying from the local community, cost €1.3 million.

With regard to the cost of the site, we are talking about a large area of 150 acres. Deputy Rabbitte said last time that it was a rural site. It is ten miles from O'Connell Street and is literally beside the airport. It is beside the confluence of a number of major motorways.

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