Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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Question 234: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the position regarding the Thornton Hall prison project, County Dublin; the costs incurred to date both in terms of land purchase and other matters; the estimated final cost; the estimated date of completion; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21416/10]

Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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The development of the new prison campus at Thornton Hall, County Dublin is proceeding on a phased basis. Phase one comprises essential enabling works required for the prison development. These works include the construction of the dedicated access road, perimeter security wall and various off-site services. Phase two of the project comprises the various prisoner accommodation blocks, workshops, education facilities and administration buildings.

Tenders for the design and construction of the access road to serve the prison development were issued in March this year. The competition is still in progress and it is anticipated that contract award will take place in June with construction work commencing on site in July. It is intended that tender documents for various off-site works will be issued later this month with construction work expected to commence in September this year. The tender documentation for the design and construction of the perimeter wall of the prison is currently at an advanced stage of preparation. It is intended to invite tenders for this phase of the project by the end of September with the construction work commencing immediately following the completion of the access road in January 2011. The construction of the perimeter wall is estimated to take about 12 months to complete.

The National Development Finance Agency acting on behalf of the Irish Prison Service, has initiated an EU wide tender competition for the appointment of multi-disciplinary technical advisors for the project. The technical advisors will develop the output specification and other tender documents which will be the subject of a tender competition later this year. It is anticipated that the prison will be operational by late 2015.

In relation to expenditure on the project, a total of €42.24 million has been expended on the project to end March 2010. This sum includes the site cost of €29.9 million. The cost of the site was offset by the sale of surplus prison lands at Shanganagh, County Dublin. An additional 8.7 acres has also been acquired at a cost of €1.3 million to provide a dedicated access route to the main prison site. This was done following representations from the local community which reflected concern in relation to the potential effect of increased traffic generated by the prison development.

This sum also includes €7.095 million expended on professional fees, €2.919 million on site preparation and various surveys, €0.468 million on landscaping and €0.553 million on security. As is the case with all major infrastructure projects a comprehensive set of geological, engineering and archaeological surveys have been undertaken at the site. These surveys will help to reduce the overall construction programme once a contract for the construction of the prison is awarded. In relation to the overall costs of the prison development, it would not be appropriate, for commercial and procurement reasons, to disclose details of the overall cost of the new prison as the project will be the subject of an EU wide tender competition later this year.