Jim O'Keeffe (Cork South West, Fine Gael)
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Question 60: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the position regarding the proposed prison at Thornton Hall, County Dublin; his views on the current over crowding conditions in prisons here; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28136/10]

Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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The Deputy will be aware of the Government's commitment to developing a new prison campus at Thornton Hall, County Dublin. The new prison facility will provide accommodation for 1,400 cells with operational flexibility to accommodate up to 2,200 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 were published in March of this year and tenders for the construction of the perimeter wall will be published in September.

Phase 2 will include the development of the main prison campus. The detailed appraisal is underway in accordance with Department of Finance Capital Expenditure Guidelines and the new business case is at an advanced stage of preparation.

As the Deputy will fully appreciate the Irish Prison Service must accept all prisoners committed by the Courts who are independent in the exercise of their functions. I have already acknowledged that there has been a consistent increase in the total prisoner population over recent years. This situation is particularly apparent over the past 12 months during which time the total number in custody has increased by 429. This represents a rise of over 11% in the numbers in custody. This is due, in part, to the work of the Garda Síochána in bringing people to justice and the work of the courts process.

Indeed the issues of overcrowding is not unique to this country. It is an international problem as acknowledged by the Inspector of Prisons, in his 2008 Annual Report. The Government has invested significant resources in the overall criminal justice system. This level of investment has allowed the Irish Prison Service to set in train an extensive programme of investment in prisons infrastructure. Since 1997 close to 1,800 new prison spaces have come on stream in the prison system. These include the new prisons in Castlerea, the Midlands, Cloverhill, the Dóchas Centre and new accommodation in Limerick, Portlaoise and Castlerea prisons and at the open centres in Shelton Abbey and Loughan House.

Current projects will see in excess 200 prison spaces provided in the short term by means of the opening of a new block in Wheatfield which is ready for occupation. In addition, we hope to proceed in late 2010 with a new accommodation block in the Portlaoise/Midlands prisons complex which will when complete, provide in excess of 300 spaces. Also in the short term, work is due to commence on converting an administrative building on the Dóchas site into a new accommodation block. This accommodation will provide approximately 50 spaces and is due to be completed later this year.