Deferral of prison plan delights action group

THE
Government’s decision to shelve several major infrastructure projects in North
Dublin as part of its capital expenditure cuts was greeted with shock and
dismay last week by many local lobby groups.

The deferral of
Metro North and the proposed Grangegorman campus came as a bitter blow to those
hoping for job creation and a much-needed fillip for the local economy.

One group,
however, was delighted that controversial plans for a

‘super prison’ at
Thornton Hall in north county Dublin have been postponed.

The Rolestown
St Margaret’s Action Group (RSMAG) have been lobbying tirelessly against the
proposal for the last six years on the grounds that it would be

“socially,
environmentally and morally wrong

? to build a super prison in this rural
farming location.

Locals also
opposed plans for a scaled-down version of the prison put forward by a review
group, appointed by Justice Minister Alan Shatter during the summer.

Speaking to
Northside People, spokesperson for RSMAG, Teresa McDonnell, outlined their
concern that the smaller prison would be

“the thin edge of the wedge

?.

“If the
scaled-down prison went ahead with 400 units of accommodation, there would
still be potential for the master plan to happen – the prison could expand to
house the 2,000 beds originally proposed,

? she said.

The 150-acre
site at Thornton Hall was bought in 2005 for e30 million, six times its market
value. Other fees for professional, consultancy and site works have added a
further e16 million to the taxpayers’ bill without a brick being laid for the
facility.

Although plans
for Thornton Hall prison have been deferred, the group is well aware that they
could be revived at a later stage. This was made clear in a press statement
issued by Justice Minister Alan Shatter last week.

“Whilst the
reduced capital envelope this year will not allow the Prison Service to proceed
with the construction of Thornton Hall prison, this does not signal a reversal
of the Government’s decision this July to approve in principle the
recommendations contained in the Thornton Hall Review Group Report.

“While it has
been necessary to defer the commencement of this project, it is my strong
intention to revisit the timeframe for their delivery in 12 months’ time,

? the
Minister’s statement reads.

Ms McDonnell,
who lives within one kilometre of the proposed site at Killsallaghan, said:

“It’s good news, but as a community action group, we’re well aware that it
doesn’t mean it’s never happening.

“In the interim
period, we would like to see time taken to assess so many suitable potential
sites for a prison that are part of NAMA, not least the site adjacent to
Mountjoy itself bought by the OPW.

?

Richard Merne,
another member of RSMAG, agrees that while Mountjoy is clearly overcrowded and
inadequate, it would be far cheaper and more practical to refurbish the
existing facility and extend into the adjacent site.

“Geographically,
practically and historically, it would serve the prisoners and their relatives
far better if the existing facilities were overhauled to bring them up to
standard,

? Mr Merne told Northside People.

“The entire
Thornton Hall project was a nonsense from its inception during the era of
Celtic Tiger expansionism.

“Construction
industry groups lobbied the Government to break into the green belt in an
effort to chip away at vast tracts of land which were fetching astronomical
prices.

?

Mr Merne urged
the Government to take time to

“maturely reflect

? on the whole direction of the
prison system and to learn the lessons from other countries where profit-driven
super jails only served to expand the prison population on the premise of

“build them, we’ll fill them

?.

Meanwhile, the
postponement of the proposed amalgamation of DIT’s colleges to a single campus
in Grangegorman has caused great disappointment to the third level institution.

Speaking to
Northside People, DIT President Professor Brian Norton, said the reduction in
exchequer support was

“in no doubt a disappointment in the short-term

?.

However,
Professor Norton welcomed the Government’s statement that Grangegorman remains
a

“priority project

?.

“We will be
working closely with the Grangegorman Development Agency and with colleagues in
the Department of Education and Skills, the Higher Education Authority (HEA)
and with the National Development Finance Agency (NDFA) to tease out the best
way to re-engineer the sequencing of this vital development until capital
budgets are reinstated,

? he said.

Professor
Norton added:

“The current Grangegorman strategy envisages two major Public
Private Partnership (PPP) packages on the campus.

“These would
not require any major capital funding until 2016 and thereafter would be paid
over a 25-30-year timeframe.

?