Clare Daly (Dublin North, Socialist Party)
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Question 128: To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of cells in each institution here; the number that accommodate two, three, four or more prisoners; and the current levels of overcrowding within each prison with reference to the safe levels of custody on each prison as identified by the Inspector of Prisons in his report, The Irish Prison Population – An examination of the duties and obligations owed to prisoners, from July 2010; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16891/11]

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 132: To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality the total number of prison spaces currently available at each location throughout the country; the number of prisoners per cell at each location; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16896/11]

Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 128 and 132 together.

The information requested by the Deputy is set out in the tables below.

Table 1 sets out the total number of cells in each institution and is broken down into cells that can accommodate one, two, three and four or more prisoners. The table also includes the capped bed capacity as suggested by the Inspector of Prisons in the report referred to by the Deputy, along with the bed capacity and numbers in custody on Monday 20th June, 2011. Table 2 sets out the number of prisoners held in single, double, triple, quadruple and larger cells per institution.

The numbers in prison at the moment do not allow all of the Inspector's standards to be met in the short term. The problem of prison overcrowding remains a challenging issue. As of 22nd June 2011, there were 4,433 prisoners in custody. In 2000 that figure stood at 2919. 400 additional prisoner places will come on stream by mid 2012 and the Committee looking at Thornton are due to report by 1 July 2011.

I am pursuing alternatives to custody. I would mention in particular the Criminal Justice (Community Service) (Amendment) (No.2) Bill which will require judges to consider imposing Community Service in any case where the appropriate sentence would otherwise be a custodial one of up to 12 months imprisonment. I also have asked my officials to look at a scheme where suitable long term prisoners might have the last period of their custodial sentence replaced by a form of Community Service. Table 1.

* The capping of the bed capacity suggested by the Inspector was prior to the opening of the new block at the prison.

** It should be noted that some prisons/place of detentions have dormitory style accommodation such as the Grove in Castlerea Prison and Open Centres.

Table 2.