Former Justice Minister wants costly new prison plan dusted off

A former Minister for Justice wants to Government to dust off his plan costly plan to build a prison in north Dublin to replace Mountjoy Jail to address the scandal of overcrowding in Irish jails.

With the current Minister for Justice Simon Harris announcing extension plans to jails in Portlaoise and other prisons, Senator Michael McDowell said Department of Justice wants the plan for Thorton Hall off the M50 to be resuscitated

He said the state had disposed of 30 acres land at Shanganagh for housebuilding and had applied the €30 million to purchase 150 acres at Thornton Hall. He added that the Thornton Hall site was prepared for development as a prison complex with new access roads, earthworks, and services installed.

He said it was intended to replace 30 acres of valuable city centre land at the Dickensian Mountjoy Prison which could be used for urban redevelopment and badly needed housing.

"The present prison system is a scandal. We have cells with four bunks and we also have 194 prisoners sleeping on floor mattresses. The number of prisoners sleeping on the floor has risen since 400% since January. The Dóchas Women’s Prison is now operating at 170% of capacity with up to five women sharing a cell.

"The Minister’s proposal to knock down and rebuild the Separation Unit at Mountjoy is by no means adequate and would be a major waste of money.

"Dickensian Mountjoy should be demolished and a proper modern prison should be built on the Thornton Hall site.

"Prison sentences can ruin young lives and should be used sparingly. But with a population that has grown from 3.9 million to 5.1 million we need to build modern humane prison accommodation as a matter of urgency.

"Early release, “revolving doors” and increased remission (1/3 from 1/4) and other temporary band aid solutions will not work.

"Minister Harris needs to admit that we need Thornton Hall. His Department and the Prison Service know that this must be dealt with," said the former Progressive Democrat TD.

The Thornton Hall project has attracted controversy since 2005 when Sen McDowell, who was the then Minister for Justice, authorised its purchase for a new prison to replace Mountjoy jail. The Government bought the land at a cost of €200,000 an acre. A farm four miles away sold at €26,000 an acre.

The Government was advised the initial construction costs would be €150 million, increasing to €525 million for the most ambitious project envisaged. 

Big expansion of Portlaoise's Midlands Prison floated by Government

As recently as 2025 the Comptroller and Auditor General said ancillary costs had seen total spending on projects to May 2015 rising to over €50 million.

It said the decision to purchase site “was underpinned by an inadequate analysis of the likely costs of developing a new prison”. 

Since 2005, €28.7 million was invested in Mountjoy with 92 additional cells added, a new wing was built at the Midlands Prison in 2012 in Portlaoise with 175 cells at a cost of €25 million.

At the 2023 Prison Officers Association Conference the Minister for Justice announced more plans to create new prison spaces including a new wing at the Midlands to accommodate up to 100 extra prisoners.