Campaign group says expansion plan for Cork Prison 'utterly misleading'  

People living next to Cork Prison say their gardens are being used by people trying to smuggle drugs, as the first stage of plans for a new facility on the site have progressed.

The Irish Prison Service, on behalf of the justice minister, has given notice of its intention to carry out demolition works at the old prison site in The Glen. 

Justice Minister Jim O’Callaghan last year announced plans for “a large extension” to the prison, to provide spaces for 100 women and 230 men.

Cork Prison, which has a capacity of 304, had 404 people in custody yesterday.

The average in custody rose from 255 inmates in 2021 to 367 last year. 

Calculations by The Echo show the average figure in custody this year is 411, up 61% from 2021.

Mr O’Callaghan said last month that work on the proposed facility is to start early next year, and it could be finished “in the latter part of this decade”.

Separate to the current building

A new group, Stop Prison Expansion in Cork Campaign, made up of around 60 local residents, have said that the word ‘extension’ is “utterly misleading”, as the plans are for two new buildings, for men and women.

They will both be separate to the current building, which “causes considerable daily stress and anxiety for those families who live adjacent to it,” they said.

Residents “have had to endure excessive noise coming from the prison at antisocial times, drone incidents, public disorder, and their gardens have been used by persons trying to get drugs in over the prison walls.”

The construction stage will be disruptive in terms of safety, traffic and noise, and the development represents a broken promise to residents of the area which has a lack of community facilities.

The group’s Benita Wolf said: “More prisons do not address the overcrowding crisis,” adding that Limerick women’s prison was presented as the solution to overcrowding, but it opened in October 2023 and was already operating at 121% capacity by January 2024.

The campaign group and Sinn Féin TD Thomas Gould are holding a public meeting at the Glen Resource and Sports Centre on Thursday next week, June 11, at 7.30pm.

Time of the essence

"Time is of the essence now to oppose this terrible proposal. While other communities get light-rail or new healthcare facilities, we are being stuck with new prisons.”

The site notice states that the development will consist of the demolition of the 14 buildings and structures currently onsite, the infill of basement infrastructure and removal of parking and yards.

Drawings and particulars are available for inspection by appointment only until July 3, 2026, at the IPS headquarters in Longford or Mayfield Garda station.

An IPS spokesperson said: “The new prison facility… will be a large extension of the function of the existing prison and will not be a second prison.

“There are currently no plans on public view at any location.

“As the project progresses, there will be more stakeholder engagement as part of the planning process.”

In response to a follow up question about the notice posted, they said that these plans are for demolition works only, and that their earlier comment meant there are no plans available to be viewed for future building works..

Mr Gould said: “They are going to progress this in phases and hope the community don’t notice.

“We are not fools and we will object to this at every stage.”