Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 329: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the number of prison spaces currently available and occupied; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16502/05]

Michael McDowell (Dublin South East, Progressive Democrats)
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The number in custody on 13 May 2005 was 3,226 as against a maximum bed capacity of 3,370. A further 188 prisoners were on temporary release on that date.

On the date in question, 96% of the total bed capacity was in use. It must be noted, however, that accommodating prisoners is not simply a matter of matching the global prisoner population to a global figure for beds or cells. A number of factors have to be taken into account including the prisoner's age, gender, the nature of the offence, location, security and whether they are on remand or sentenced. Therefore, the fact that there is spare bed capacity does not imply the existence of almost 150 available spaces. Some 40% of the available spaces were in Portlaoise Prison which mainly houses subversive and other high security prisoners and is not suitable for the general prisoner population. Approximately 30% were in Cloverhill Prison, which is a remand prison and 20% in St. Patrick's Institution which is exclusively for male offenders aged 16 to 21.

The fact is that most institutions are operating at close to or over their operating capacity. In my view, it is clear that there is a need for new prison spaces for a number of reasons including the need to eliminate overcrowding in a number of our committal prisons, in particular, Mountjoy Prison, the Dóchas Centre, Cork Prison and Castlerea Prison. It is also my wish to replace outdated prison accommodation with new facilities which will eliminate the practice of "slopping out" and also reduce the "doubling up" which is prevalent throughout the system. To this end, plans are in train regarding the two major prison developments, one in the greater Dublin area and the other on Spike Island, County Cork. It is intended that these new facilities will offer significant improvements in the areas of work, training, educational and medical services for inmates as well as providing predominantly single cell accommodation with in-cell sanitation facilities.