Ivana Bacik (Independent)

I am very much obliged to the Minister of State for clarifying that. I believed that might be the case. I am particularly concerned, therefore, that we are allowing for a potentially enormous increase in prisoner numbers to 2,200. The unfortunate truism is that if prison places are built, they will be filled. We should all be concerned about the direction this would take our penal policy. It would be a question of simply warehousing prisoners in large numbers, as other Senators have stated.

The location of the prison could lead to stigmatisation, particularly of children of prisoners, who are to be taken to Thornton Hall on a special prison bus. This is of real concern and we must consider other ways of ensuring access links for people travelling from the inner city. The reality is that many visitors will be travelling from there.

I was fortunate enough to see plans for the redevelopment of Mountjoy Prison, which were at a very advanced stage under Deputy John O'Donoghue, a former Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform. They were so advanced that there was even a scale model provided of what the redeveloped prison would look like. It was along the lines of the Dóchas Centre. I understand these plans were abandoned and that a greenfield site was proposed. What was the rationale behind the abandonment of those plans?

That debate is over and it now appears that the prison at Thornton Hall is to be built, although some have raised concerns about whether the public private partnership will go ahead. If it is to go ahead, I would like to see two aspects in particular changed. The proposal that the Central Mental Hospital be located at the site should be abandoned. It is not in the body of the motion before the House but the "Patients not Prisoners" report, launched earlier this week, raised very serious concerns over moving psychiatric patients to a penal site designed for a prison. This is of real concern.