Charles Flanagan (Laois, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The Deputy will be aware that the step-down facility is a residential unit in the community, which will be designed to provide for the basic needs of its female residents. It is supervised but not institutional and it is an option as a residence for female prisoners, mainly those in transition from custody back to the community. I agree that a prison should be a place of last resort. To put it in context, there are 133 spaces for female offenders within the prison service. The Dóchas Centre can accommodate 105 women, in good quality accommodation, and 20 of them are for women preparing for their release.

I referred to Limerick Prison. This has accommodation for 28 women but I have to acknowledge that this accommodation is of very poor quality. A new prison build on the Limerick site will allow for 50 new spaces for women, which will greatly assist in eliminating overcrowding in our two female facilities. A snapshot of the female prisoner population as of earlier this week confirms that there are 143 women in custody and a further 15 on temporary release.

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