Maurice Cummins (Fine Gael)
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I move:

That Seanad Éireann:noting:
-- that the Minister for Justice and Equality, having considered the need for a new prison in the Cork area, has decided to proceed with the development of a prison on a portion of the site used as Cork Prison, in the townland of Rathmore and city of Cork;
-- that the Minister for Justice and Equality has caused the documents specified in section 26(2) of the Prisons Act 2007 (No. 10 of 2007) relating to the development of a prison to be laid before each House of the Oireachtas together with a document containing the observations of that Minister on the environmental impact assessment and the report of the rapporteur;
-- that the proposed development relates to the construction of a prison:

(a) located on a portion of the site used as Cork Prison, in the townland of Rathmore and city of Cork;
(b) for the purpose of accommodating approximately 300 prisoners;
(c) which shall consist of buildings of a floor area of approximately 15,000 square metres within a site of approximately 2.64 hectares;
(d) the secure facilities within which shall be bounded by a perimeter wall approximately 7.2 metres in height; and
(e) which shall consist of buildings with a height of one, two and three storeys;

-- that the following alteration having been made by the Minister for Justice and Equality to the development in accordance with section 25 of the Prisons Act 2007 (No. 10 of 2007) in order to mitigate its visual impact:

--the reduction of the height of the perimeter wall forming the eastern, western and northern boundaries of the horticultural area at the northern end of the site to approximately 5.2 metres;

-- that an environmental impact assessment was prepared with respect to the proposed development;
-- that the Minister for Justice and Equality invited submissions or observations relating to the development of the prison from members of the public:

(a) by means of advertisements placed:

(i) in the following national publication on 8th November, 2012: The Irish Examiner; and
(ii) in the following local publication on 8th November, 2012: The Evening Echo;

(b) by the erection of site notices at two locations on the perimeter of the site; and
(c) by causing an announcement of the proposed development to be published:

(i) on the website of the Irish Prison Service; and
(ii) on the website of the Department of Justice and Equality;

-- that the proposed development will not have any significant effect on any European Site, within the meaning of the European Communities (Birds and Natural Habitats) Regulations 2011 (S.I. No. 477 of 2011);
-- that the main measures taken to avoid, reduce or offset any possible significant adverse effects of the development on the environment are:

(a) the use of visually conditioned concrete with a light-coloured finish on the sections of the perimeter wall most visible to the public;
(b) the implementation of a traffic management plan as part of the Construction Environmental Management Plan;
(c) the mitigation of light impact by the use of low-level lighting and lighting cowls and the directing of all security lighting, other than the lighting in the area between the perimeter wall and the outer fence, inwards and away from residential property in the area of the prison boundary;
(d) the application of Sustainable Urban Drainage Design System principles to the site with the aim of ensuring that the surface water run-off rate shall not exceed existing site greenfield rates;
(e) restrictions on the CCTV system to ensure that it is not used in manner that facilitates viewing into neighbouring residential property;
(f) the use of obscured glazing in all windows overlooking neighbouring residential property;
(g) the mitigation of noise and dust by the construction of the perimeter wall before commencement of the construction of the prison buildings; and
(h) appropriate landscaping of the entrance and car park areas;

-- that a visual representation of the exterior of the completed development appears at the end of this resolution;
-- that the conditions relating to the construction of the new prison to be complied with by the principal building contractor or developer engaged by the Minister are:

(a) that the development shall not vary in any material way from that outlined in the environmental impact assessment and the visual representations of the exterior of the completed development as laid before the Houses of the Oireachtas;
(b) that the construction schedule shall give priority to the construction of the perimeter wall in order to minimise the impact of construction within that perimeter on persons residing in the local community;
(c) that construction shall not commence until a Construction Environmental Management Plan has been drawn up by the principal contractor and approved by the Irish Prison Service and implemented in keeping with best practice and in particular the construction phase mitigation and other measures specified in sections 3.2, 3.4, 3.5, 3.6, 3.7, 3.8 and 3.11 of the environmental impact assessment shall be adhered to by the body or bodies contractually responsible for the construction of the development including any subcontractors;
(d) that normal construction and excavation work shall only take place between 08.00 hours and 19.00 hours Monday to Friday and between 08.30 hours and 16.30 hours on Saturdays, with no such work taking place on Sundays or public holidays;
(e) that an extensive programme of vermin eradication on the site and its environs shall be undertaken in the weeks immediately before the commencement of the works; and
(f) that appropriate noise, vibration and dust monitoring shall be undertaken throughout the construction period;

and
resolves to approve the development of the said prison in the townland of Rathmore and city of Cork.

Denis O'Donovan (Fianna Fail)
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May I take this opportunity to welcome Councillor Donnchadh O'Seaghdha, who has come all the way from Skibbereen, to the Gallery?