Prison plans 'will have massive environmental impact'
Disgruntled residents today showed politicians the reasons behind their objections to the Government’s plan for a major prison complex in north County Dublin.
People living near the site at Thornton Hall, which the Department of Justice paid €30m for last year, said it was important that politicians witnessed first-hand the environmental sensitivity of the site.
The new complex, intended to replace Mountjoy Prison, will house at least 1,200 inmates when it opens in 2010. The Central Mental Hospital will also be moved to the north County Dublin site.
As Green Party leader Trevor Sargent paid a visit to the 150-acre site, residents pointed out why they feel the site is totally unsuitably for a major prison campus.
Joanne O’Sullivan, a spokeswoman for the Rolestown St Margaret’s Action Group (RSMAG), said: “This is a farm in the middle of a rural location with poor infrastructure and services. The area is rich in history and archaeology and the landscape has remained largely unchanged for centuries.
“People out here feel that their democratic rights have been taken from them. This proposed development bypasses all local democratic and planning processes. The Minister for Justice can, and most likely will, ignore any local concerns.”
Ms O’Sullivan said anyone who visited the area and saw the proposed site had been shocked such a location was chosen.
“The effects of this huge development will be felt by many communities in the surrounding area. We will be asking the Green Party leader to make this an election issue both nationally and in particular in Dublin West, Dublin North and Meath East,” she said.
Mr Sargent said the Green Party had already lodged a complaint with the EU Commission over the exemption of the proposed prison site from a part of the planning process.
The exemption means an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is not required under Irish law as the location of the prison is in the interest of national security.
