Mark Ward (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein)
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169. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality to outline the rationale for closing the progression unit in Mountjoy Prison; the action taken to accommodate the rehabilitation of prisoners who were resident in Mountjoy Prison; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24600/25]

Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail)
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The Irish Prison Service must make the best use of all available prison capacity when managing accommodation across the estate.Sex offenders, both sentenced and remand, were previously accommodated at 4 locations – Midlands Prison, Arbour Hill Prison, Castlerea Prison and Mountjoy Training Unit. However, due to limitations at these locations and rising sex offender committals to prison, it was decided to consider other options within the prison estate to accommodate this cohort of prisoner.

The process of accommodating sex offenders in the part of Mountjoy Prison which was previously known as the Progression Unit commenced during March 2024. This area of Mountjoy Prison is located on the west side of the prison and is self-sufficient in relation to recreation, education, work and training. There is no requirement for prisoners living here to interact or traverse to the main prison. For this reason, it was decided that this is a suitable location to accommodate sex offenders.

The Irish Prison Service advise that prisoners currently accommodated in Mountjoy Prison (West) and serving their sentences for convictions other than sex offences will either remain there, or be moved to alternative suitable accommodation within the prison estate. The Irish Prison Service is committed to making every effort to ensure that the transfers of prisoners from Mountjoy Prison (West) will not negatively impact on them in terms of how their sentences are being managed.