Dáil debates

Tuesday, 27 April 2010

 

Irish Prison Service.

12:00 pm

Photo of Dermot AhernDermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)

We have responded to the increase in the prisoner population by providing for a significant increase in prison places. I have given the figures to the Deputy on numerous occasions in the past. It bears repeating that over 1,720 new prison spaces have been provided since 1997. A further 200 spaces are being provided in the short term through a current project - a new block that is ready to open in Wheatfield Prison. Work is expected to start in the latter half of this year on a new 300-space block in the Midlands Prison complex in Portlaoise. In the longer term, a new purpose-built prison campus at Thornton Hall will provide approximately 1,400 cells on a 130-acre site. This will allow us to replace the antiquated Mountjoy Prison campus with modern, purpose-built and regime-focused accommodation. The new facility will have the operational flexibility to accommodate up to 2,200 prisoners in a range of security settings.

The Thornton Hall project is progressing on a phased basis with the full support of my Government colleagues. One aspect of the project involves the replacement of the Dóchas Centre with a new women's prison, with accommodation for 170 women. This will bring the best elements of the experience of the Dóchas regime to the new facility. Similarly, women prisoners will be catered for at the new Munster prison, which is planned for Kilworth, with facilities that best meet the particular needs of female offenders.

It is sometimes suggested that we are sending people to prison who should not be there. I do not hold that view. The Judiciary, which is independent in its functions, decides on the most appropriate punishment to fit the crime. It and it alone holds this function. The prisons, as I have said already, must accept all committals.

Deputies on all sides of the House recognise and will accept that we have some very serious criminals in our prison system serving longer sentences for very serious and heinous crimes. In fact, over 80% of convicted prisoners in custody at any one time are in prison for relatively serious offences and are serving sentences of more than 12 months.

Turning more specifically to women prisoners in custody, it may interest the Deputy to know that, of the 117 women in custody yesterday serving sentences, 25% of that cohort of female sentenced prisoners were serving a sentence for murder, manslaughter or conspiracy to murder. A further 21% were serving sentences for possession of drugs for the purpose of sale or supply. Some 28% were serving sentences for offences such as robbery, theft and criminal damage, and of this 28% only four prisoners were serving sentences of less than 12 months. Those figures speak very loudly.

Side by side with enhancing our prison system by the provision of appropriate accommodation and educational and other opportunities we must, of course, also examine how other non-custodial options might be used. I hope the Fines Bill will have a positive effect. Likewise, the expansion of community service orders will, over time, it is hoped, make a difference. I am open to considering new ways of dealing with offending behaviours mindful of the overwhelming need to do so in the context of public protection and community safety. As Minister I am committed to supporting the Irish Prison Service in its daily work to manage the prisoner population in the knowledge that increasing numbers do place pressures on the system and day-to-day operational decisions must be taken as to how best to manage the prisoner population by the director general and his senior management team.

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