Dáil Report: The Minister for Justice has rejected claims that non-nationals being held in Cloverhill prison, Dublin, are being ill-treated, writes Michael O'Regan.
The claims were made by the Sinn Féin justice spokesman, Mr Aengus Ó Snodaigh, who said they were reportedly being held in severely overcrowded conditions. "Some deportees are sleeping on the floor during their period of detention which I understand can be up to a maximum of 56 days, just four days shy of two months," he added.
"I have been advised that the overcrowding is directly related to the inappropriate committal of persons pending deportation. I have it from a reliable source that until this overcrowding was relieved somewhat on last Sunday, by transferring up to 20 regular prisoners to Wheatfield and other centres as has happened on other occasions, there were people sleeping on mattresses on the floor in all wings of the prison."
Mr McDowell, in a reply read to the Dáil by the Minister of State for Transport, Mr Ivor Callely, said: "By contrast, it is a modern penal institution opened as recently as 1999, which was constructed to the highest standards and provides a clean and healthy living environment for inmates.
"The wings are spacious and bright with excellent facilities including classrooms and workshops, provided to cater for the recreational and vocational needs of all inmates."
Mr Ó Snodaigh claimed that some deportees had been reportedly denied medical treatment.
"In at least one case, I have been made aware of a male Romanian epileptic who had his medication to control his condition removed from him upon arrival in the facility and was denied access to his medication throughout his six-day detention."
"As a result, he suffered multiple seizures, during which he broke his front teeth, but was also not provided with any medical or dental treatment prior to his deportation. Such treatment of detainees is appalling and must not be allowed to continue."
Mr Ó Snodaigh said it was also of great concern that children, including Irish citizen children of non-national parents, might be among those held in those conditions. "We know that some of the Romanians, subject to the mass deportation earlier this week, were held in Cloverhill prison, and that some of this group who were deported had their Irish citizen children with them when they were forced to leave the country."
Mr Callel said Cloverhill was the most modern facility available for male prisoners in the Dublin area. "While legally a number of other prisons and places of detentions can be used," he said, "Cloverhill prison is advantageous for a number of reasons, particularly its proximity to Dublin Airport and also the wide range of facilities available for those detained there.
"Persons detained for deportation are treated the same as remand prisoners and are subject to the same regime and receive the same privileges as this grouping."
Those awaiting deportation, "all of whom have gone through a fair process where applications for residency and asylum have been duly considered", were treated with dignity and respect during their detention.