Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 21 April 2026
635. Deputy Ivana Bacik asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration further to Parliamentary Question No 1990 of 14 April 2026, if he has sought a timeline for a return to full operation of the visiting space; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28598/26]
View answerThe temporary closure of the standalone Visitors Centre at Mountjoy Prison represents a short-term, interim change in service delivery and provides an opportunity to reconfigure and modernise visiting facilities for Mountjoy Prison.
This is in line with the objectives set out in Young Ireland: The National Policy Framework for Children and Young People 2023–2028, including the specific commitment to ensure that prison visiting arrangements are child-centred, inclusive, and responsive to the needs of children and families impacted by imprisonment.
At present, a temporary visitors reception area is in operation at the main gate on the North Circular Road at Mountjoy Prison and includes lockers, toilet facilities and baby-changing amenities.
This arrangement was necessitated on health and safety grounds to facilitate essential construction works associated with the provision of additional female prisoner accommodation. This development is a critical measure to address overcrowding pressures within the Dóchas Centre.
I am advised by the Irish Prison Service that a permanent visitors’ waiting facility will be reinstated as soon as possible, upon completion of the construction project.
