Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)

Our priority is to have Thornton Hall built as quickly as possible. I am not in a position to say the timescale until I get Government approval. If I do, Deputy Rabbitte will be the first to hear the timescale.

In view of the prevailing current and future economic circumstances, we are building Thornton Hall on a more realistic basis. In my own view and the view of the officials who advise me on prison numbers, the prison should be built on a phased basis. We will provide another 200 places in Wheatfield, probably in September, and another 300 when the extra prison spaces are built in the midlands complex. Ultimately, we will be building - we estimate on a three phase basis - up to 1,400 prison cells with a capacity of 2,200 within the Thornton Hall complex.

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