Irish Taxpayers Still Footing Bill for Empty Island Prison

DUBLIN, Ireland — Irish taxpayers paid almost $2 million last year to maintain an empty prison, according to the Irish Prison Service.

Located off Ireland ‘s southern coast, Fort Mitchell Prison was mothballed by the government in 2005 as part of a cost-cutting overhaul of the Irish prison system, but authorities spent more than $1.7 million last year to secure and maintain the facility.

The prison, which sits on Spike Island off Ireland’s southern coast and is accessible only by special ferry service, was decommissioned despite having received a multimillion dollar upgrade two years earlier.

Prior to its closure, Fort Mitchell had been under consideration as a potential site for a proposed new maximum-security prison. However, with the estimated cost of building a bridge to the mainland deemed too expensive, the island facility was ruled out as a viable option and subsequently closed.