Mark Wall (Kildare South, Labour)
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69. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence if he has had consultations and correspondence on a project (details supplied); the number and dates of such correspondence; the times of such correspondence; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8374/25]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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The Department of Justice contacted my Department with regard to their future of the Curragh Prison in May 2024.

Department of Defence officials and members of the Defence Forces met with various officials from the Department of Justice and the Irish Prison Service (IPS) and surveyors working on behalf of IPS, on site at the Curragh Prison on at least five occasions between May and August 2024. The purpose of the visits was to assess the feasibility of using the Curragh military detention centre as a general service prison for the IPS.

At this time, the Department of Defence is awaiting further communication from the Department of Justice in relation to that assessment of the facility and its potential use by the general prison population.