Jim O'Keeffe (Cork South West, Fine Gael)
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Question 73: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the amount paid to date on purchasing professional fees, site preparation, landscaping and security in relation to the Thornton Hall development; if he has obtained an up to date valuation of the property; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21284/09]

Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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The cost of the acquisition of the site for the prison development at Thornton was €29.9 million. The cost of the site was completely offset by the sale of the prison lands at Shanganagh, County Dublin. An additional 8.7 acres has also been acquired to provide a dedicated access road to the main prison site at a cost of €1.3 million. This was done following representations from the local community which reflected concern in relation to the effect of increased traffic generated by the prison development.

A total of €10.4 million has been expended to 21 May 2009 on professional fees (€6.8 million), site preparation and surveys (€2.7m), landscaping (€0.4 million) and security (€0.5 million). As is the case in all major infrastructural projects, comprehensive geological, engineering and archaeological surveys were conducted at the site.

Valuation of prison lands are undertaken from time to time. However, an up to date valuation of the site has not been sought nor is it required at present as the Government is committed to building a new prison complex on the Thornton site. I intend to bring new proposals to the Government in a matter of weeks on how we can proceed with building a new, regime orientated and cost effective prison complex at Thornton.