The Department of Justice has announced plans to turn the site of Mountjoy Prison into a “village” of apartments.
The site could fetch more than €200m for the State when it goes on the open market.
The prison is being replaced by a new facility at Thornton Hall in north Co Dublin, with work due to get underway next April and expected to take four years to complete.
Minister for Justice Michael McDowell says the Government wants to work with Dublin City Council to transform the Mountjoy site into a family-friendly village.