Violet-Anne Wynne (Clare, Independent)
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349. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality if she will comment on prison overcrowding with respect to Limerick Prison; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31901/23]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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I can advise the Deputy that the Irish Prison Service is committed to providing safe and secure custody for all people committed to prison and that my officials in the Irish Prison Service and the Department continuously work to identify short, medium and longer term proposals to help manage capacity issues in our prisons as they arise.

It has to be acknowledged that the Irish Prison Service does not have the option of refusing committals and must accept all prisoners committed by the Courts. Where the number of prisoners exceeds the maximum capacity in any prison, my officials make every effort to deal with this through a combination of inter-prison transfers and structured Temporary Release.

The Government has provided significant capital funding to the Irish Prison Service to enhance the existing prison infrastructure. These projects included the commissioning of a new male and female prison accommodation in Limerick Prison providing an additional 90 male spaces and 22 additional female cell spaces. The male accommodation is now open and the female accommodation is expected to become operational in July. I am advised by the Irish Prison Service that once the resources are in place, the new female wing of Limerick Prison will be opened without delay.

In addition, my Department outlined plans for 4 short-term capital projects at Castlerea, Cloverhill, the Midlands and Mountjoy prisons. These will deliver a minimum of 620 additional spaces and I am engaging with the Minister for Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform with a view to progressing an agreed schedule of capital builds.