Ulick Burke (Galway East, Fine Gael)
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Question 120: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the status of the project to construct a new prison at Thornton Hall, County Dublin; the amount of money that has been spent on the Thornton Hall project to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22533/07]

Ciarán Lynch (Cork South Central, Labour)
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Question 136: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the position in regard to the proposed Thornton Hall Prison plan; the latest estimate available to his Department of the expected cost, including the cost of the site, the provision of infrastructure and ancillary services; the cost of construction and fitting out of the prison; the implications for the overall timing of the prison project; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22487/07]

Brian Lenihan Jnr (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 120 and 136 together.

The current status of the Thornton Hall Prison project is as follows. Negotiations are currently underway with a preferred bidder, who was selected following an EU public tender procedure in relation to the construction and maintenance of the prison complex at the Thornton Hall site. It is intended that these facilities will provide a modern and cost effective replacement for the prison complex currently located at the Mountjoy Complex which, as is widely acknowledged, is in urgent need of replacement.

The contract under negotiation is a Public Private Partnership model which will include the construction of the required prison facilities along with the ancillary infrastructure including services etc. The relevant planning procedure for this development is set out in Part 4 of the Prisons Act, 2007 and in this regard it is planned to publish the necessary notices etc. including details of the proposed development along with a comprehensive Environmental Impact Assessment within the next month or so. The procedures for public consultation regarding the proposed development are set out in the Act and as can be seen, these afford all interested parties ample opportunity to make their views known and have them fully considered prior to a decision to proceed with the development. It is intended, subject to the statutory planning phase and the successful conclusion of the contract negotiations, to commence construction next spring and to begin operation of the new facilities in early 2010.

A section of the Thornton Hall site has been set aside as a location for a replacement for the Central Mental Hospital. That project, including the relevant planning requirements, is being dealt with by the Department for Health and Children and it will have no bearing on the timing of the prison project.

It is not, for commercial and procurement reasons, possible to provide details as to the likely costs of the project. The disclosure of such information is, in any event, not allowed under Department of Finance PPP procedures.

I can however confirm the following expenditure which has taken place to date on the project. The cost of the site acquisition was €29,900,000. An additional 8.7 acres has also been acquired to provide a dedicated access road to the main site. This was done following representations from the local community which reflected concern in relation to the effect of increased traffic generated by the prison project. In addition to allaying these concerns, the new roadway will provide significant additional benefits both during the construction and operational phases of the project. The cost of this additional land was €1,305,000.

A total of €4,808,475 has been expended to date on preliminary site works including surveys, landscaping, security and maintenance of the property, studies such as archaeological, topographical, etc., and professional fees including legal and specialist technical advice.