Prison service to retain old Cork Prison site due to overcrowding
Adjacent Service' Of Old To Interest The To Strategic Of Prison, The Picture: Linehan Irish Cork Dan Prison Prison The 'remains Site
The old Cork Prison site is to be retained by the Irish Prison Service (IPS) because of increasing prisoner numbers.
The IPS has held discussions with a number of bodies “as to possible future uses of the old Cork Prison site in recent years”. These included with the Land Development Agency (LDA) with a view to locating housing in the old site on Rathmore Rd in the northeast of Cork City.
The LDA had sought materials from the IPS and the Department of Justice about the site, including title reviews, maps linked to the site, details of any wayleave rights, and copies of any recent valuations of the site.
However, a spokesman for the IPS said that any preliminary discussions were only “exploratory in nature”.
“However, in light of the latest and likely future surge in prisoner numbers and prison overcrowding, the site of the Old Cork Prison which is adjacent to the existing prison, remains of strategic interest to the Irish Prison Service, but, in this regard, no specific or detailed proposals are in consideration at the present time,” he said.
Sinn Féin TD for Cork North Central, Thomas Gould, said he will be seeking clarification from the IPS and the Department of Justice regarding the future of the building.
“This is very disappointing to hear,” said Mr Gould.
He said there had been local hopes for the development of the prison for another purpose, including a visitor attraction.
Late last year, Justice Minister Helen McEntee said that she was advised by the director general of the IPS that the body had no short-term use for the former prison and “remains open to receive submissions on how the building or site might be used”.
However, in recent months, the number of inmates in the prison system has led to overcrowding, with large numbers of inmates having had to sleep on mattresses in some prisons.
On Monday, there were 4,632 inmates in the system which has a bed capacity for 4,515 prisoners. A further 425 inmates were on temporary release. There were 4,176 inmates through the prison estate on the same date last year, with just 260 on temporary release.
Last month, Ms McEntee said that between 620 and 650 new spaces are to be delivered over the next five to six years.