Charles Flanagan (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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Question 380: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the number of high-security wings and sections in each prison in the State; the date of establishment of each; the average cost per year to maintain each one for each of the past five years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40037/08]

Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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The majority of institutions within the prison estate are medium security closed prisons and accommodate a wide variety of prisoners ranging from those serving short sentences for relatively minor offences up to prisoners serving lengthy determinate sentences or life for serious offences. The exception is Portlaoise Prison which is a maximum-security prison.

The most recent available costings in relation to Portlaoise Prison are set out in the following table:

In addition, a High Security Unit was opened in Cloverhill Prison in May 2007. The average cost per prisoner in Cloverhill Prison for 2007 was €84,700.

The new prison facilities at Thornton Hall will include a purpose designed high security facility capable of accommodating up to 40 prisoners in a safe, secure setting with appropriate support facilities. It is also intended that the proposed prison development at Kilworth, County Cork will have a high security unit and this is being provided for in the design brief for the new facility.