Seán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour)
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Question 58: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the number of prisoners in jails at the latest date for which figures are available; the number of occasions during the past five years on which the prison population has exceeded 4,000; the steps that are being taken to deal with prison overcrowding; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13009/10]

Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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I am advised that the prison population stood at 4,228 on the 18th March 2010 and that the first time the number of prisoners in custody exceeded 4,000 was in October 2009.

As the Deputy and the House will be aware, the Irish Prison Service has been proactively engaged in an ongoing extensive programme of investment in prisons infrastructure which has involved both the modernisation of the existing estate and the provision of extra prison spaces. Since 1997 in excess of 1,670 new prison spaces have been provided. In addition, current projects will see a further 250 spaces provided by means of a new block in Wheatfield Prison which will accommodate approximately 200 prisoners and the re-opening of the Separation Unit in Mountjoy which will provide an additional 50 spaces. In addition, work is expected to commence soon on a new accommodation block in the Portlaoise /Midlands prison complex which will provide further prison spaces.

The Deputy will also be aware that the Government re-affirmed its commitment to developing a new prison campus at Thornton Hall, Kilsallaghan, County Dublin and also approved the launch of a new tendering process for the construction of a more affordable and better value prison campus at Thornton. The aim is to provide good quality, regime focussed prison accommodation with appropriate support and rehabilitative facilities for prisoners to prepare them for re-integration back into society. The new prison facility will provide 1,400 cells with operational flexibility to accommodate up to 2,200 prisoners in a range of security settings.

The development is now proceeding on a phased basis with phase one comprising essential enabling works required for the development including the construction of the dedicated access road, perimeter wall and off-site services. Tenders for the construction of the access road will be issued in the near future. A tender competition for the construction of the perimeter wall of the prison will issue mid-Summer.

An EU wide tender competition for the appointment of technical advisors to the Irish Prison Service is already in progress. The Irish Prison Service is being assisted in this process by the National Development Finance Agency.

This extensive prison building programme shows this Government's continued commitment to improving our prisons and to continued prudent investment.