Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 3 March 2026
673. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration to confirm that his Department have carried out a full review of the possible future use of the Old Cork Prison which is now vacant for a number of years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16972/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraI have secured a record capital investment of €527 million for the Irish Prison Service over the next 5 years, of which €495 million will be invested in building projects to further increase capacity. The target is to deliver over 1,500 new spaces by 2031. This will be the largest ever building programme in the prison estate, and will include a large extension to the existing Cork Prison on the site of the old decommissioned Cork Prison.
The proposed project for the extension to the existing Cork Prison is still at a very early planning stage. However, any new prison facility proposed on the Old Cork Prison site will be an extension of the function of the existing prison and will not be a second prison in The Glen area. This intended approach will ensure efficiencies with the design and the practical operations of the new facility in parallel with the existing prison. As the project progresses, there will be more engagement as part of the planning process.
