Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 41: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the estimated saving made by the Irish Prison Service arising from the closure of prisons at Spike Island and the Curragh; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46260/09]

Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

The closure of Fort Mitchell Prison, on Spike Island, and Curragh Place of Detention in early 2004 occurred against the backdrop of the need to make significant savings in prison expenditure through reductions in overtime. The closure of these two institutions led to savings on the paybill that was previously associated with these prisons and the utilisation of the staff formerly assigned to them to reduce the level of overtime worked in the prisons to which they were transferred. In 2003, being the last full year of operation for both prisons, the costs of running Fort Mitchell and the Curragh Prisons were €6.868M and €9.029M respectively. The introduction of the Agreed Proposal for Organisational Change, which commenced in 2005, eliminated overtime working in the prison system and replaced it with an Additional Hours system.

In terms of the operational implications, the impact of the closure at Fort Mitchell, which had a capacity of 102, was offset by the opening of the new C Block at Limerick Prison, providing an additional 100 beds. The closure of the Curragh, Place of Detention, which had a design capacity of 68, was offset by the opening of a previously unopened wing in the Midlands Prison.

I should point out that there is no potential to reopen any of these facilities. Small stand-alone prisons accommodating 100 prisoners or less are simply not economic to operate. The policy of the Irish Prison Service is, where possible, to develop campus-style developments which take full advantage of economies of scale and operational efficiencies.