Deirdre Clune TD has expressed her disappointment that five years after the prison on Spike Island was closed the Government seems no closer to making any decision on the island’s future.

The local TD raised the future of Spike Island with the senior officials of the Department of Justice during a meeting of the Public Accounts Committee.

It is now five years since Spike Island prison was closed and since then it has been left idle and has been seemingly forgotten about. The interested Government Departments still seem to be no closer to a decision on the future of this historically significant location.

As a member of the Dáil’s Public Accounts Committee I questioned senior members of the Department of Justice on the issue when they were before the Committee.

In response to my questions Brian Purcell, Director General of the Irish Prison Service, confirmed that as far as he is concerned there is no future for Spike Island in terms of a prison location. Mr. Purcell expressed a belief that given the historical significance of the site the suggestion that it could be developed as a tourist amenity.

Mr. Purcell also confirmed that following the decision not to build a new prison on Spike Island an interdepartmental committee was set up to decide Spike Island’s future. The committee includes representatives of the Departments of Community, Rural & Gaeltacht Affairs; Environment, Heritage & Local Government and Arts, Sports and Tourism. The Committee has still to make a decision and I will be following the matter up with the three Ministers concerned in the Dáil.

Spike Island is a historical gem in the middle of Cork Harbour. Not only is it the site of a Fort that has played a major role in the Nation’s history and is a dedicated national monument but it is also the location of a burial ground with a long history dating back to Famine days. It is hard to understand why it has become an island forgotten by the Government.