Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 219: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the number of prison places currently occupied; the extent to which prison accommodation needs are currently being met; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35959/05]

Michael McDowell (Dublin South East, Progressive Democrats)
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As of 18 November 2005 the maximum available bed capacity of the prison system was 3,352 and there were 3,142 persons in custody on that date. That does not, however, imply the existence of 200 readily available spaces. A significant proportion of these spaces were accounted for as follows: high security spaces in Portlaoise which are not suitable for the general prison population; remand spaces located at Cloverhill Prison; newly commissioned spaces in Loughan House; and protection spaces in the midlands prison. When this is taken into account the prison system currently operates at or in excess of full capacity for sentenced prisoners with some overcrowding remaining in certain prisons.

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 It is also my intention to replace outdated prison accommodation with new facilities which will eliminate the practice of slopping out and also seek to eliminate the practice of doubling up in cells which is prevalent throughout the system.

As part of this process, I can confirm that a total of 150 new spaces are being provided in the new Portlaoise C block which is due to be completed in 2007. I can also advise the Deputy that estimates of future space requirements are being refined by the Irish Prison Service in the context of planning for the development of the new prison complexes at north County Dublin and Spike Island.