Fine Gael's 'Cork spokesperson' differs from party leader Harris on future of prison

Fine Gael’s newly-appointed spokesperson on Cork has differed with his party leader on plans to build extra prison spaces on the site of the old Cork Prison building on Rathmore Rd.

It comes as Cork Prison has exceeded its own record for overcrowding for six days in a row, with 386 people in custody there on Thursday, representing 130% capacity.

With 296 beds in the prison, that figure meant 90 people were sleeping on the floor or on mattresses, constituting more than 23% of the total number of people in the prison.

The old prison, which was built by the British Army in 1806 as a military detention facility and became a civilian prison in 1972, closed in 2016 when it was replaced by the modern prison, built across the road from the original.

The original site has remained idle for the nine years since, and with the new prison experiencing ongoing issues with overcrowding, justice minister Jim O’Callaghan has proposed building new prison spaces on the site.

The new build would cater for an additional 230 male inmates and 100 female inmates, and would be delivered by 2031.

The plans have been strongly opposed by TDs and councillors representing the local area, among them representatives from both Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael.

Taoiseach Micheál Martin has indicated that he would be in favour of expanding the current facility onto the old site, and on a visit to Cork two weeks ago, Tánaiste Simon Harris concurred.

“My high-level instinct is the most important thing is that we can increase prison capacity and increase it quickly,”

Mr Harris said.

The Fine Gael leader added that any process needed to engage with communities, and he pledged that the Government would “absolutely” engage with people.

However, Colm Burke, Fine Gael TD for Cork North Central, whom Mr Harris last month appointed Fine Gael spokesperson for Cork, has poured cold water over the notion of expanding the prison onto the old site.

“The old Cork Prison is in a very poor state of repairs, and the cost of revamping it would be extremely expensive,” 

he said.

“It might be far better to build a brand new premises, and the question then is — is that site suitable for a brand new premises?

"If there is a concern on the basis that there is already a prison in the area and residents feel this is the maximum they should have, then obviously that should be looked at.”