Minister for Justice Michael McDowell has confirmed that a new 450-inmate prison for Munster, to replace Cork Prison and parts of Limerick Prison, is to be located on Army land at Kilworth in north Cork.
Mr McDowell said yesterday that the Cabinet had approved in principle the siting of the new prison after the Department of Defence agreed to make land available on part of the 3,000-acre site at Lynch Camp. The prison will occupy an area of about 160 acres.
The next step is for the Government to decide on developing the prison either through a private/public partnership or through the State building the facility. He would present both options to the Department of Finance, Mr McDowell said. The prison will include a high-security unit for people who have been convicted of serious crime.
The Department of Justice had been considering developing a new prison on Spike Island in Cork Harbour, but local historical and tourism interests had lobbied to have the island site developed as a tourist attraction similar to Alcatraz in San Francisco Bay.
Earlier this year Mr McDowell said that Lynch Camp enjoyed a significant advantage over Spike Island as it would not require construction of a €20 million bridge, which would be the case if the prison was sited on the island.