The Minister for Justice is to bring forward urgent legislation to pave the way for the closure of Mountjoy jail in Dublin, following "strong and consistent" criticism of conditions at the jail by prisoners' welfare groups.
Mr McDowell today published the Prisons Bill 2004, which also sets out his plans to contract out the prisoner escort service in the event that he fails to reach a deal with prison officers on cutting the cost of running the prison service.
The Bill removes a "purely technical statutory impediment" to the closure of Mountjoy prison in Dublin.
The historic building dates from the mid-19th century but has been widely criticised as an inappropriate setting for a modern prison. It also suffers from chronic overcrowding problems.
The Prison Officers' Association accused the government of wasting €100 million of taxpayers' money upgrading the facility over the last few years.
A spokesman claimed staff were shocked by the announcement and were furious they had not been consulted.
"This is the latest of a series of extreme provocations linked to the impasse over overtime payments to officers," he said.
The Department of Justice said the minister has secured Government approval in principle for his proposal to close the Mountjoy complex and replace it with a new prison facility on a greenfield site "in or near the Dublin area".
"I have inspected the conditions in Mountjoy Prison and I have come to the clear view that it falls so far short of the requirements of a modern prison, and the needs of prisoners and staff, that replacement of the prison
complex, rather
than refurbishment
of
the
existing facilities, is the best way forward," Mr McDowell said.
He said he was strengthened in this view by reports on Mountjoy from both the Prison Board and the Inspector of Prisons and Places of Detention and by "strong and consistent criticism" of the existing facilities by a committee of the Council of Europe and other organisations concerned with the welfare of prisoners.
Mr McDowell said he has asked the director general of the prison service to make an "immediate start" on planning for the new prison facility.
Today's
Bill also provides a statutory basis for contracting out the prisoner escort service.
It
is one of several contingency measures approved by Government
in
the event that agreement cannot be reached with the Prison Officers Association
on "a sustainable cost structure for the operation of prisons and prison-related activities", the Department of Justice said.
"It will also enable the holding of pre-trial hearings through video-conferencing, reducing the security risks and costs associated with multiple transfers of prisoners between jails and courts."
A committee established
by
the minister to examine the potential of video-conferencing has advised the Minister that it is clear that video-conferencing
technology
is
"an
essential
part
of an efficient and effective
modern
court system".
Legislation based on the general scheme of the Bill will now be "urgently" drafted for presentation to the Oireachtas, the Department of Justice said.
Today's move is certain to meet with opposition from prison officers, who have yet to reach agreement with the minister on a means of reducing the huge cost of running the States prisons each year.
Mr McDowell has already embarked on a plan to close a number of smaller prisons, but has said he was willing to reverse the decision if agreement on cutting the prison officers' overtime bill could be reached.