The Department of Justice has been offered more than €20 million for the open prison at Shanganagh Castle and an adjoining 6.3 acres in Shankill, south Co Dublin.
Minister for Justice Michael McDowell said this money, when combined with the proceeds of the earlier sale of 21 acres at the site, would cover the entire cost of the acquisition of the 150-acre site for a new prison at Thornton Hall, north Co Dublin.
Two tenders for Shanganagh Castle and the adjoining 6.3 acres have been received and the bids are being evaluated.
Mr McDowell said the bulk of the property at Shanganagh, approximately 21 acres, was sold in 2003 for €9 million to Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council to provide affordable housing. The Department of Justice had subsequently secured rezoning of the remaining 6.3-acre parcel of land to maximise its financial value to the State.
Cathaoirleach of the council Eugene Regan has announced that the council is involved in negotiations to acquire Shanganagh Castle for the local community.
There is a preservation order on the castle and the council is negotiating to buy it from the developers who have tendered for the 6.3-acre site.
Mr Regan said that following a request he made to Mr McDowell, council officials were given access to the castle to carry out an inspection and had confirmed the importance of securing the property for the community. "The council and the county manager are determined that the castle will be acquired by the council." He said the purchase would provide the council with a complex of houses and castles including those at Cabinteely and Marley, which would serve the local community and tourists.
Mr McDowell said the Government had decided the proceeds from the sale of Shanganagh should be used to offset the cost to the taxpayer of acquiring Thornton Hall.
"The Government took the decision on the basis and the expectation that the sale proceeds would cover approximately two-thirds of the cost, [ the remainder to come from the Prisons Vote]. Prudent management of the prison property portfolio has now resulted in the sale of Shanganagh effectively covering the entire cost of the purchase of the 150-acre site at Thornton, which was purchased for €29.9 million or just under €200,000 per acre," he said.
Shanganagh Castle, which is 18km from the city centre, was previously used as an open centre for boys aged between 16 and 21. When it closed in December 2002, it had held a daily average of only 29 prisoners for the previous four years, effectively operating at less than half its capacity, Mr McDowell said.
He added that the building and facilities were becoming increasingly unsuitable for this category of offender. "The Government's decision to realise the value of these lands while providing the majority of the site for social and affordable housing made real sense.
The construction of the prison campus at Thornton, only 14km from the GPO, with a variety of security levels, rehabilitation programmes and facilities, is a decision which will serve the needs of the Irish Prison Service for decades to come," he said.