Joe Costello (Dublin Central, Labour)
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Question 68: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform his views on the findings of the Comptroller and Auditor General that he paid at least twice the market value for 150 acres of land at Thornton Hall for a new prison site and that a more prudent approach could have saved the taxpayer €15 million on that transaction; if he will meet the local residents of Rolestown and Kilsallaghan with a view to reviewing the project; if he will allow Dublin City councillors and officials access to the Mountjoy prison complex; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31405/06]

Michael McDowell (Dublin South East, Progressive Democrats)
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The issue of the acquisition of a prison site at Thornton was included in the 2005 report of the Comptroller and Auditor General at the request of the Public Accounts Committee and will be examined by them in October. The relevant officials from my Department will be present to account in detail to the Public Accounts Committee on all the issues raised by the Comptroller and Auditor General.

The Public Accounts Committee is the proper forum to address these matters and I am reluctant to show any lack of respect to that Committee by trying to anticipate or pre-empt their examination. However, I have to note that the Comptroller and Auditor General does not state that too much was paid for Thornton. Rather, to quote his main conclusion, he states that "a well-managed, third party approach might have allowed the Prison Service to procure suitable land at a much lower price than was paid for the land at Thornton".

Let us be clear that in this context a "third party approach" means that a site would be acquired in secret. No one would be told that the State was involved or that land was being sought for the most significant penal development in the history of the State. There would have been no public advertisement, no information given in Dáil answers and a very restricted assessment process.

The Accounting Officer of my Department has already gone on record stating that in the light of the nature of this particular project and to ensure proper accountability, a deliberate and principled decision was taken not to use a third party approach. The strategic, moral and practical reasons for that decision are outlined in the report and have not been contradicted by the Comptroller and Auditor General.

My Department's Accounting Officer is satisfied that it would not have been possible to obtain a site as suitable as Thornton for any less than was paid. The information available to me is that no site of comparable quality and suitability closer to Dublin City Centre has changed hands in recent times for less than what was paid for Thornton.

I have already met with representatives of the local community concerning the decision to build the new prison complex at Thornton Hall. In addition, there have been a number of meetings held between officials from the Irish Prison Service and members of the local community. Any further such requests for meeting will be facilitated by the Irish Prison Service, where possible.

Finally, any requests for visits to the current Mountjoy Prison Complex by members or officials of Dublin City Council will be considered by the Irish Prison Service on foot of a formal request setting out the context and purpose of the proposed visit.