Justice minister to accelerate building of nearly 1,000 prison spaces across the country
A plan to build nearly 1,000 more prison spaces before the end of the decade is to be accelerated, the justice minister will tell Cabinet today.
Jim O'Callaghan will inform ministers that the Irish Prison Service can deliver 150 additional spaces at Castlerea, 180 at the Midlands Prison, 50 spaces at the Dóchas Centre women's prison, 100 at Wheatfield, and 150 at Mountjoy — all 12 months ahead of schedule.
Meanwhile, the rebuild of the Old Cork Prison site will see 230 additional male spaces and 100 for women. That facility is due to finish at the beginning of 2031.
Jim O'Callaghan has engaged with public Expenditure Minister Jack Chambers to allow for the acceleration of prison projects — reducing delivery timelines by up to 18 months in some cases.
The Minister will inform government that the prison estate as a whole is currently operating at 115% over capacity with a new record high of 5,394 in prison in mid-April — an 11% rise in 12 months and over 1,100 more people in prison than in January 2023.
Overcrowding creates "an increasing level of risk for the Irish Prison Service, its staff and the people in its custody including rises in assaults, pressure on all ancillary services, threats to staff safety, and insufficient capacity to respond effectively to emergencies", he is set to tell cabinet.
He also intends to introduce an electronic tagging pilot programme in the coming months.
Meanwhile, housing minister James Browne will bring to cabinet a memo updating ministers on the progress of plans to exempt modular homes in existing gardens. Planning minister John Cummins has been pursuing changes to provide exemptions for detached cabin or modular-style structures at the back of properties. Currently, planning exemptions are in place for a 40sq m extension that is attached to a property.
Cabinet will hear that an interdepartmental consultation is "substantially complete" with 11 government departments making submissions. A public consultation will take place this month and finalisation of exempted developments regulations will follow.
Sources said that the plan would increase the ability to "expand and improve existing planning exemptions" and it is understood that the review has identified areas that are in need of updating to enable the quicker delivery of certain education, health, and utility infrastructure.
Minister for social protection Dara Calleary will announce the expansion of the Wage Subsidy Scheme which aims to help more disabled people get and retain jobs. Enterprise minister Peter Burke will also tell Cabinet that he is setting up a new group with the sole aim of reducing the cost of running a business.
The Cost of Business Advisory Forum will hold its first meeting on June 11 and will bring together business owners, retailers, tourism operators, accounting professionals and representative groups—alongside regulators and state agencies.
Also at Cabinet, minister for higher Education James Lawless will request cabinet note his plans to launch a further call for applications under the Technological Sector and Specialist Colleges Enhancement Fund (TEF) which funds initiatives aimed at developing Technological Universities (TU's), Institutes of Technology (IOTs) and publicly-funded specialist colleges.
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