Dermot Ahern T.D. officially opens the new 100 space accommodation block at Castlerea Prison

Posted on 16/09/09 by Dermot Ahern The Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform Mr. Dermot Ahern T.D. today performed the official opening of the new 100 space accommodation block in Castlerea Prison.

Speaking at the opening the Minister said "The provision of the facilities being opened today represents just one aspect of the major prisons capital programme into which this Government is, and has been, investing significant resources". "The new prisoner accommodation block here in Castlerea, which accommodates approximately 100 prisoners, is the realisation of my promise to deliver extra prison spaces in 2009" added the Minister.

The new Division in Castlerea Prison has provided an additional 100 spaces accommodated in 52 double cells and also includes a 12 single cell area for vulnerable prisoners. All cells have in-cell sanitation. This has increased the capacity of the prison to 351. Each landing has a small recreation area and there are several administration offices throughout the floors for various ancillary services and prison staff i.e., Teachers.

The development also includes a new recreation building adjacent to the new unit which includes a sports hall, gym, library, tuck-shop and new all weather football pitch.

Current developments will provide a potential 450 further prison spaces by the end of this year by means of:
• A block in Portlaoise Prison which will accommodate approximately 200 prisoners
• A block in Wheatfield Prison which will accommodate approximately 200 prisoners
• The refurbished Separation Unit in Mountjoy which will provide an additional 50 spaces.

All these new spaces will have in-cell sanitation

It is anticipated that these additional spaces will provide the Irish Prison Service with the means by which to alleviate the current pressure on the number of inmates across the prison system.

The Minister also reconfirmed the Governments commitment to developing a new prison campus at Thornton Hall, Co. Dublin. The revised plans for Thornton Hall prison aim to protect the taxpayers' interests while, at the same time, providing modern, regime focused and operationally efficient accommodation to replace the Mountjoy prison complex in the shortest possible timeframe.

It is intended that the new prison will be built on a phased basis. Phase one involves the provision of essential preliminary work required to facilitate the development such as the construction of a dedicated access route, services and perimeter wall. The preliminary works in phase one of the project will be procured on the basis of separate contracts to the main prison development. Work is expected to start on this phase early next year.

It is expected that an EU wide tender competition for the main prison buildings will be launched next year. The objective is to complete the procurement process for the main prison buildings while the construction of phase one is underway thus enabling construction of the main prison buildings to commence immediately after contract award.

The construction of the prison will take no more than three years. The new prison at Thornton will have a capacity of 1,400 in single occupancy cells but with operational flexibility to accommodate up to 2,200 prisoners, thus future proofing the development.