Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)

Leaving aside Thornton Hall and whether the Minister or I will ever see it completed, is the Minister satisfied that it is the correct thrust of policy to seek to continue to provide more prison cells? Why are we not dealing with the situation of minor offenders not being incarcerated in prison? Why are we not dealing with the situation of more prisoners being incarcerated in open prisons, which are significantly cheaper per prisoner than is the closed prison regime of which the Minister has spoken?

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