Costly new building at Portlaoise prison could be redundant before it's finished

A new base for Irish soldiers on the prison complex in Portlaoise may never be used for its intended purpose after a decision by the Government to withdraw the Defence Forces from Portlaoise Prison duties.

Construction work is entering its final phase at the new base on the Dublin Road in the grounds of the Irish Prison Service (IPS) Training College. It's estimated that the cost has run into millions of euros.

Work began in 2023 as part of a major State-funded overhaul of premises for Gardaí and the Defence Forces in the Laois county town. The project was necessitated by the multi-million overhaul of the Laois Offaly Garda HQ in Portlaoise.

A building to the rear of the Garda Station on the Abbeyleix Road was used by the Defence Forces to allow soldiers to prepare for armed duty in Portlaoise Prison where they were deployed primarily to guard paramilitaries.

However, the plan for the Garda Station earmarked that building for demolition and replacement. This led to the search for a new premises for the Defence Forces. An initial proposal on the town's Mountrath Road was rejected before the prison complex site was landed upon.

Flynn construction are carrying out the work on the Office of Public Works (OPW). The development consists of a single storey 248 m2 building. The accommodation includes a security-screening, staff office, staff support facilities. It also includes high secure fencing and metal gates, CCTV, seven car parking spaces and one bus set down. 

But as the weeks wind down to the completion of the Defence Forces building, the Government has given the Minister for Justice the green light to end the armed guarding of prisoners at the Laois jail which high security prisoners and a handful of dissident republicans. The presence of soldiers is set to end in 2024.

The Prison Officers Association Deputy General Secretary Gabriel Keaveny questioned the logic of the decision-making and spending of public money. MORE BELOW PICTURE.

Pictured: The Defence Forces base in the final stages of construction on July 25, 2024.

"They've spent millions on it but that money was spent by Government when they were contemplating the removal of the Defence Forces. There is no joined-up thinking," he told the Leinster Express / Laois Live. 

Mr Keaveny said it should revert back to the IPS for use as a training facility.

The OPW told the Leinster Express / Laois Live in 2023 that work commenced on site in May that year with the construction of the new facility is expected to be completed in early quarter 1 of 2024.

It would not reveal the cost as it due "to commercial sensitivity" until after the conclusion of the works and a final account is signed off.