Patrick O'Donovan (Limerick County, Fine Gael)
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I am informed by the Department of Justice, and the Deputy may be aware, that the former Cork Prison facility was built in the early 1800s and operated as a prison from 1972 to 2016.

The prison was deemed no longer appropriate for use as prison accommodation due to the condition of the facilities, the size of the cellular accommodation and the lack of in-cell sanitation.

The facility was closed in February 2016 following the construction of new prison facilities on a site opposite the old prison as part of the Irish Prison Service modernisation programme and capital plan for the prison estate, and the old prison was decommissioned.

Since that time the facility has remained vacant and fallen further into disrepair.

Given the current trend in prisoner numbers and the pressure on the prison capacity across the estate, the site of the former Cork prison remains of significant strategic interest to the Irish Prison Service. In late 2023, engineering consultants were engaged by the Irish Prison Service to carry out a detailed assessment of the old Cork Prison facility and to provide a feasibility report on the site with various options for its use.

This report is expected to be completed later in 2024.