EU study to put brakes on super-jail

CONSTRUCTION of a super prison in north Dublin could be delayed because the EU Commission wants a detailed assessment conducted on the impact it would have on the environment and local community.

If the Government is forced to carry out an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), as required by EU law, it could delay construction of the jail by a year - and could sound the death knell for the ambitious plans.

There was confusion last night among the state agencies involved in the prison development as to what was required to meet EU rules.

The Departments of Justice and Environment, and the Irish Prison Service, disagreed on what measures were needed to carry out a full investigation of the site and satisfy the EU.

Fine Gael Justice spokesman Jim O'Keeffe said Justice Minister Brian Lenihan needed to clarify the position.

"The whole situation seems mired in confusion," he said. "I've been worried about this from the beginning, and I don't want this compounded by total bureaucratic confusion and possibly the courts. They need to clarify the position," he said. An EIA measures the impact major developments have on roads, wildlife, water and the local community.

The lengthy study can take up to a year and it could find that the proposed site is unsuitable. If so, the project might have to be scrapped.

Paul Melia
Irish Independent

Construction of new 'super' jail delayed until end of next year

CONSTRUCTION of a €100m new 'super-prison' capable of handling over 600 inmates will not begin until late 2008 - despite the fact that severe overcrowding has now been blamed for a spate of attacks on prison officers.

Three prison officers based at Cork jail are currently recovering from minor injuries sustained in separate attacks over the past week.

Cork Prison - one of the most overcrowded in Ireland - was designed with an inmate capacity of 160 but has been catering for 278 prisoners, which is 73pc more that its limit.

However, the Irish Independent has learned that Kilworth Prison in north Cork - which is scheduled to replace Cork Prison - won't begin construction until late 2008 and is unlikely to be commissioned before 2010/2011.

Ironically, this is despite the fact that the prison doesn't even require planning permission because it is sited on former Defence Force lands.

The Government has still to decide whether the state-of-the-art mixed jail will be funded directly by the Exchequer or will be financed as part of a Public Private Partnership arrangement.

This week, outline proposals on the prison are being circulated amongst community groups in north Cork who have, so far, given the project on Lynch Camp lands a cautious welcome.

However, prison officers want the proposed prison developed as a matter of priority - particularly since Spike Island jail was mothballed and a proposed expansion of Cork Prison was dropped.

Heritage

Justice Minister Michael McDowell has already revealed that the Cabinet ratified in principle the Kilworth location over the long-favoured site on Spike Island.

The Cork harbour island is now expected to be developed as a multi-million euro tourism, leisure and heritage site.

Mr McDowell - who personally toured the Lynch Camp site in Kilworth last January - confirmed that he now expects work to begin shortly on the project.

Ralph Riegel
Irish Independent