Ivana Bacik (Independent)

In respect of my second concern, I have been working with a colleague from the other House who is not unknown to the Minister of State, namely, Deputy Mary O'Rourke. She and I hosted a meeting last week with Baroness Jean Corston from the House of Lords, who has produced a comprehensive and thought-provoking report, "The Corston Report", on female prisoners in the United Kingdom, the recommendations of which have largely been taken up by the British Government.

The Corston report recommends that prison is not appropriate for the majority of women offenders and I expect the report would have the same application in Ireland. Research here has shown the majority of our female offenders are non-violent. They are committed for minor offences and for short terms of imprisonment. At present, approximately 100 women are in prison in Ireland on any given day. The Thornton Hall development effectively proposes to double this with its provision of 170 places and apparently a further 40 places are to be provided in Cork Prison. This is a most regressive step, which will ensure not the rehabilitation, but the warehousing of women. Such women are among the most vulnerable of our prison population and include those who have severe mental health problems and many who have addiction problems. I again stress the majority of them pose no risk to society because they are non-violent.

Research has shown that at present, women in our prisons have an average of two to three children each. Although as I noted earlier, 100 are in prison on any given day, the numbers for committal in any year are striking. A total of 960 women were committed to prison in 2006. This represents 2,000 to 3,000 children who were left motherless in 2006. Even if this was for a brief time, Baroness Corston has observed it can lead to the women losing their homes and the placing of their children into care. There is an enormous cost to those children, their mothers and to society when one considers the cost of the alternative care, the emotional and social cost and so forth.

As I noted, prison places that are built are filled. If 170 places for women are built on this proposed site, they will be filled and increasing numbers of women will go to prison for minor offences that should require punishment in the community. Instead, we should see a development of community service orders. Ireland should go down the road British penal policy is taking on foot of the Corston report and should consider alternatives for this vulnerable group of offenders.

I emphasise that although plans for Thornton Hall are advanced and the prison development is proceeding, there still is room for manoeuvre regarding the groups that are to be moved there, as well as the site's composition. The Government should give serious consideration to not moving the Dóchas centre there. The Dóchas centre is less than ten years old. It was built on rehabilitative lines and provides all the prison places required. These women are damaged and not damaging and do not deserve to be expanded in number. I apologise to the Cathaoirleach for exceeding my allotted time.