Sharon Keogan (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I appreciate the Acting Chairperson allowing me in to speak on this technical Bill. I thank Senators Wilson, Conway and McDowell for raising the issue of the 164-acre site at Thornton Hall. It is part of the Minister of State's constituency. It has been sitting there for the past 20 or 30 years. A significant amount of money was spent on it. It is fully serviced, with footpaths and lighting right out to it. The sightlines are protected from the public. There is no reason we cannot proceed to build that prison. Evidently, all the prisons, men's and women's, are overcrowded. There is a group of people in the women's prison in Limerick, however, whose prison requirements must also be looked after. I am referring to the transgender women in that prison. We must ensure a new prison that facilitates people from the trans community is constructed. It is important that when that prison is built, it is made all-inclusive. There is no reason for it not to be built. The money is there. The Apple tax will probably come to us in June. The European Court of Justice will be deciding that at the end of May. That is probably €17 billion, approximately, that will be coming back into the Exchequer. That is a significant amount of money. If we are looking for a project to spend money on, this one is ready-made. Let us get on and do it. It is in the Minister of State's area.He has an opportunity to put a real marker down if he participates in putting a state-of-the-art prison back into Ireland to stop the revolving door system as regards criminality in this country. The Garda and judges have nowhere to put criminals and they are back on the street again. Rehabilitation is also important but we must state that crime does not pay in this country.