Prison education and training facilities
The Minister said training availability had not fallen and expected Cork’s education unit to reopen after cell-block work, while interim improvements were discussed with the Cork VEC. He rejected the claim that cancelling the wider prison-building programme caused the disruption, saying Wheatfield would provide accommodation by mid-1987 and other projects would have offered no sooner relief.
asked the Minister for Justice the action he is taking to restore the educational and training facilities which he withdrew from the prison system; and when these facilities will be fully operational again.
Comment on this
(Limerick East): There has been no reduction in availability of training facilities in the prisons. In relation to education services, it is intendded to have the unit at Cork returned to educational use when work which has started on a new cell block is completed in, it is hoped, about six months.
I should mention that last Friday I met a deputation from the City of Cork Vocational Education Committee to discuss the situation and to see what could be done in the interim to improve the services available. Certain proposals which will, if implemented, in my view lead to an improvement in the situation were discussed and are being considered. I should say that I was pleased to learn that 89 prisoners are attending at least one class per week at the moment compared to 90 attending one class per week before the purpose built unit was taken over for accommodation purposes and I would like to congratulate the teachers on their efforts in this regard.
In the case of Arbour Hill Prison, educational services were, in the main, relocated in a pre-fab previously used for educational purposes while other classes were continued in the purpose built unit. The question of restoring the purpose built unit depends on the availability generally of accommodation for prisoners. I am at present reviewing this question.
Comment on this
Would the Minister agree that the abandonment of the prison building programme which he inherited was a major contributing factor to having to use the facilities which were needed for education within the prison system?
Comment on this
(Limerick East): I would not accept that. If I had gone ahead with the total building programme envisaged by our predecessors, the consultancy and architectural costs of which were £13 million, I would not have had accommodation any sooner. As a matter of fact, I went ahead with the Wheatfield project in Clondalkin which was most advanced at the time and that will provide us with accommodation in mid 1987. Any other part of the building programme which I cancelled due to enormous cost would not have provided any accommodation sooner than the summer of 1987.