Prison Service
Dail Éireann — 2026-05-07
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Jim O'Callaghan (FF), Dublin Bay South

I thank Deputy O'Sullivan for putting down this very important issue I accept that overcrowding is having an impact on the provision of services within the prison estate, and is having an impact on both prisoners and staff.
A lot of outstanding work is ongoing within our prisons that probably does not get enough recognition. This morning, I spent two hours at Mountjoy and Dóchas. Three weeks ago, I visited Castlerea Prison for a full afternoon. In fact, I have visited every prison in the country with the exception of the Midlands Prison and Arbour Hill Prison, and I will be visiting them shortly. I take this opportunity to commend the Irish Prison Service and the staff on the outstanding work they do daily. This morning, I had an opportunity to look at the education services provided within Mountjoy and Dóchas. It really is an excellent service, notwithstanding the pressures that overcrowding creates.
I am pursuing a dual approach to address the issue of prison overcrowding by increasing prison capacity and pursuing further measures to support the increased use of non-custodial sanctions. I have secured a record capital investment of €528 million for the Irish Prison Service over the next five years, of which €495 million will be invested to deliver one of the most significant capital programmes in the justice sector, with an overall target of delivering over 1,500 spaces by 2031.
The building programme, which is committed to 2031, will, as the Deputy has requested, include a large extension to the existing Cork Prison on the site of the old, decommissioned prison. It is important to state that this is not a new prison; it will be an extension to the current Cork Prison. I had the opportunity, with Deputy O'Sullivan, to visit Cork Prison last year. I was very impressed with the commitment and professionalism of the Prison Service and the prison staff there. I am conscious that we need this extension.
There will also be a new block in Wheatfield and an additional block extension at Midlands Prison. This is in addition to spaces at Castlerea, Mountjoy and the Dóchas Centre, where an extension to Rowan House is expected to accommodate 50 women prisoners. I visited Dóchas today and saw another extension that had been put in by using office space. It is a fantastic extension and shows the work that has been done in the past year.
The proposed project for the extension to the existing Cork Prison is still at an early planning stage but preparation works will start early next year. The extension on the old, decommissioned Cork Prison site will be a large extension of the function of the existing prison and will provide prison spaces for approximately 100 women and 230 men. This will improve efficiency. As the Deputy will be aware, the former Cork Prison ceased to operate as an operational prison in February 2016 but the site provides an opportunity for the Prison Service to extend.
As the project progresses, there will, of course, be community engagement as part of the planning process. I hope that consideration will also be given to community benefit as part of the project as matters progress. With regard to Cork Prison, I should also mention the excellent educational work that is provided by the Dillon’s Cross Project, which celebrates its 30th anniversary. The project provides vital educational and social support to the partners and families of prisoners. That is an example of the excellent work that is done for community benefit arising from the prison.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/dail/2026-05-07/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-09-28T05:50:46+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-05-07