The Fine Gael TD, Ms Nora Owen, said yesterday she was "gravely concerned" that the Minister for Justice, Mr O'Donoghue, had not made a commitment to continuing with her plans for a 60-place segregation unit for dangerous prisoners at
Portlaoise Prison.
During a visit to the jail yesterday, Mr O'Donoghue would not say whether the special unit would be going ahead. He said the additional space requirements of the prison service were being generally reviewed and there was a case for developments at Portlaoise and at other prisons.
