Kathleen Lynch (Cork North Central, Labour) | Oireachtas source

In response to the last speaker, I very much take on board and accept fully that all points raised tonight by the few Members who have chosen to contribute are genuine. In my experience over the years, prisoner welfare has never been a popular issue. The majority of people in this country would say we waste money on prisoners, but I do not take that view. In my opinion it is true that too long a sacrifice makes a stone of the heart. We must be careful how we treat people, especially first-time offenders. We must consider whether the latter should be put into a juvenile liaison scheme or a programme of community employment. The last resort should be a prison sentence.

Anybody who has visited Cork Prison, as I take it some Members present have, will say it is a horrendous place. It is so not only for those incarcerated but also for those who work there. I am always struck and fascinated by the fact there have not been more disturbances in the prison given the level of tension that exists naturally in such tightly confined quarters, especially in weather such as we are having. I live quite close to the prison. People are looking for some air and a little space, but these do not exist. Throughout the years any piece of open space within the prison has been built on in order to accommodate an office block or release more space for prisoner accommodation. Of course the perfect solution would be to have single cells throughout, but the site is very tight. The original proposal was for Kilworth. Many of my neighbours have made submissions in regard to the plan for Cork Prison and their preference would have been for Kilworth. Just as with Thornton Hall, however, how would people get there to visit? Kilworth is not just out the road. I take on board what Senator Barrett noted. It is important that people in prison stay very much connected to their families if they are to have any chance when they are released. Kilworth would have offered more space, but this is the site we have. It suits people coming from Limerick or Bantry. I assume everywhere in the country there are people who break the law from time to time and find themselves incarcerated. Given that it is a transport hub, Cork city offers people a better chance of visiting. Ultimately, there is better access.

I hold the view that only people who are a danger, not only to society but to other individuals, should be imprisoned. We may all agree with that principle but, as of now, our system tells us there are other areas where people commit crime and the law says they should receive a custodial sentence. We are working very much towards a broader system of punishment whereby people can repay their debts to society. The release programmes we are putting in place are hugely positive. Throughout my life I have known people who have been imprisoned. As Senator Burke said, rightly, when the door opens, whether it is eight o'clock at night or in the morning, they are left to the ways of the world and they usually fall back into the pattern that brought them into prison in the first place. We need to reinforce plans and structures. It is amazing that people who get long sentences usually do very well in terms of education within the prison system but people who get very short sentences - those we imagine have the best chance of rehabilitation - do not buy into that at all.

Colm O'Herlihy's project was exceptional and worked very well, but he was an exceptional person who really believed in the concept of rehabilitation. With better facilities and a better area to work in, I believe we can develop such programmes. It is okay for us to say this. I would prefer if all cells were single and I understand why it is necessary. However, there are people locked into cells tonight in Cork Prison who are completely overcrowded. Air conditioning does not exist and in this hot weather we cannot leave people to suffer any longer in those conditions. Money moves. As Neil Diamond says, "Money talks, but it don't sing and dance and it don't walk." It may not sing and dance, but it moves - take my word for it. If we do not move on this-----