Dan Neville (Limerick West, Fine Gael)
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Question 314: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the progress on constructing a new prison at Thornton Hall, County Dublin; and when it is planned to have this project commence construction. [13390/09]

Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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The Thornton Hall Prison development is a complex Public Private Partnership project which involves the construction of more than 30 buildings, including 8 prison facilities on the site, a major internal road network, extensive perimeter security and a vast array of security systems both physical and technical. I am advised by the Irish Prison Service that negotiations with the preferred bidder are currently at an advanced stage. These negotiations are focussed on progressing the Negotiation Phase of the project across financial, technical and legal aspects of the project. This involves the continuation of the design development of the project and contract negotiations to enable the Irish Prison Service to contract with the PPP Company and commence construction of the prison facilities.

Pressures on the international financial markets have the potential to impact on all major capital projects, including the Thornton Hall PPP project. It is the responsibility of the commercial consortium, under the PPP process, to arrange the funding and other resources to deliver the project. The Irish Prison Service is being advised by the National Development Finance Agency in relation to trends and developments in this area.

While negotiations on the contract are at an advanced stage they have not, however, been completed to the point that the Project Agreement can be signed. I am advised by the Irish Prison Service that it is hoped that a contract will be signed later this year. Construction will commence immediately after contract award and should take no more than 3 years. This timeframe is subject, of course, to the successful completion of the contract negotiations. I can say, however, that if the current contract negotiations are not successfully concluded there are other options which can still be considered.