Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Labour)
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Question 64: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the progress made over recent months on the Thornton Hall project, County Dublin; if consideration has been given to rethink the project in favour of a more feasible smaller institution; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46168/09]

Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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The new prison campus at Thornton Hall, Kilsallaghan, County Dublin is proceeding on a phased basis with phase one comprising essential preliminary works required for the prison development. These preliminary works include the dedicated access route, the perimeter wall and related services. The preparation of the tender documentation as well as the detailed scope of work for the phase one work is at an advanced stage. It is anticipated that the preliminary works tender documentation for the construction of the access road will be issued to the market in the first quarter of the New Year.

The National Development Finance Agency and the Irish Prison Service has commenced the procurement process for technical advisers for the new project. A contract notice to procure these services was published last month in accordance with EU and National procedures. I am advised that an appointment from this competition is expected in the second quarter of 2010. As I have indicated to the House before, the revised design of the new prison campus at Thornton Hall must protect the taxpayers' interest, be operationally efficient in its design and provide good quality regime focussed accommodation for prisoners.

The need to replace Mountjoy Prison has been well documented. The new prison campus at Thornton will enable the Irish Prison Service to deliver the range of rehabilitation programmes not currently possible at Mountjoy Prison as well as providing additional prisoner spaces to cater for the increased number of people being committed to prison. The revised design of the new prison campus at Thornton Hall will have regard to developments in prison design both here and abroad.

The new prison campus at Thornton Hall, County Dublin will have a design capacity of 1,400 with operational flexibility to accommodate up to 2,200 offenders in a range of security settings.