asked the Minister for Justice when the new prison officer training school at Portlaoise will be opened; and if it will be available for the training of new recruits following the recent recruitment examination and interviews.

The Residential Training Centre for Staff of the Prison Service at Beladd House, Portlaoise, was officially opened by me on 4 April 1986. The centre will cater for induction training of new recruits to the Prison Service and will also provide various developmental courses for serving staff. Already a number of courses have been held there and further courses are planned.

It is proposed to make some adaptations to Beladd House to provide proper facilities for recruit training. In the meantime, however, it will be possible to train recruits there by improvised arrangements of the existing facilities.

Is the Minister saying that new recruits from the recent examinations will receive training in Beladd House?

The centre will cater for induction training of new recruits to the Prison Service and for development training for people already in the service.

Will they include new recruits?

They most likely will.

Can the Minister be more specific? Will the course include recruits from the recent examinations.

It most likely will. As I said in my original reply, we will have to improvise certain arrangements pending a number of adaptations to be made at Beladd House.

Will the Minister assure the House that the fine new facilities in the school will be fully utilised by the Department for in-service training? Apart from training facilities for prison officers, this is an ideal location for in-service training for the Garda.

The building will be utilised to the maximum extent in the training of recruits to the Prison Service and in development training for prison officers. The Deputy will remember that during the course of the day of the official opening I suggested to the governor of training that he might look at requirements of other groups in the public service. I have enough of my previous concern left to suggest that he might be able to fund some of the training there by charging a contract fee.