Síle de Valera (Clare, Fianna Fail)

I am deputising in this debate this evening for the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, Deputy McDowell.

I thank the Senator for giving the Minister this opportunity to clarify the intentions of the Irish Prison Service on the proposed prison development on Spike Island. The need for a new prison to alleviate the current overcrowding at Cork Prison has been well documented. More recently the Inspector of Prisons in his inspection report on Cork Prison condemned the facility and acknowledged that space at the institution is at a premium.

Officials from the Irish Prison Service, in conjunction with the Office of Public Works and professional advisers, are developing proposals for the construction of a new prison complex on Spike Island to replace the existing Cork Prison. The new facility will address the overcrowding and inadequate facilities associated with Cork Prison and will, in addition, offer significant improvements in the areas of work, training, education and medical services as well as providing predominantly single cell accommodation with in-cell sanitation facilities.

The new prison complex on Spike Island will allow the Irish Prison Service to strengthen measures to ensure drugs are not smuggled to prisoners. For example, the new complex will locate exercise yards where drugs cannot be propelled into them and new visiting facilities will eliminate the potential for passing drugs to prisoners on visits.

In addition to eliminating supply routes, the new complex will provide modern medical and other facilities to allow the Irish Prison Service to meet the commitment in its recently published Drugs Policy and Strategy, to deliver a broad range of high quality interventions to support drug abusers in attempting to conquer their addictions. Modern facilities support the staff delivering these interventions by providing them with the best tools and environment in which to carry out their work.

The commissioning of the bridge will facilitate the development of new prison facilities on the island to replace the existing outdated accommodation at Cork Prison. The OPW has been instructed to prepare the relevant planning procedures including an assessment of the environmental and related issues arising to enable the construction of a bridge to the island. The Minister has been advised by the OPW that this planning process will commence by this summer. As soon as the planning requirements are complete it is intended to commence construction of the bridge, which will take approximately 18 months to complete.

The contract for the bridge and the prison facilities will be placed following public tender and the Minister has instructed the OPW to prepare the design and other works which are required prior to the issue of the tender for the construction of the bridge. Outline plans for the island prison facilities are being developed at present and these will be finalised later this year. The Minister is not at this stage in a position to give an estimate of the amount of land required for the prison development or the costs of the project as this will be the subject of a public competition.

The Minister does not propose to change his plans for a new prison development including a bridge at Spike Island. He does, however, note the concerns raised regarding the history and heritage aspects which arise in the context of this development.

The implications, if any, on the heritage, archaeology or related aspects of the proposed developments will be addressed in detail in the course of the planning process which will be undertaken in due course. At that stage, all of the relevant material including properly balanced assessments of the various issues, including archaeology, will be made available as part of the public consultation process which it is hoped should commence later this year.