Mary Henry (Independent)

In support of what the Minister stated, the Dóchas Centre — the women's prison — is very good. It looks well from the outside as one goes up the North Circular Road and it also looks well inside, proving that it is possible to achieve a balance in building prisons to make them look as attractive as possible, as Senator Tuffy stated.

I also agree with the Minister about not having multi-storey prisons. They are not a good idea. The Minister should visit Maiano Prison in Spoleto, Italy. It is the high security prison which designed the sets for Opera Ireland's recent staging of "La Bohème". Sets and costumes were also produced in the men's prison in Mountjoy and in the Dóchas Centre. That Italian prison was built about 20 years ago. If the Minister has time it would be well worth his while visiting it. It is difficult to deal with long-stay prisoners who are incarcerated for 20 years or 25 years but based on my visits there, it appears to be working well.