Justice Minister David Ford today opened the new 120 cell Quoile House prisoner accommodation block at Maghaberry Prison.

The modern facility, which was built at a cost of £12m, is the first accommodation block to be built at the prison in five years. It can hold up to 160 prisoners and has been occupied since the end of last year. It currently houses 140 prisoners.

Speaking at the unveiling of a plaque to mark the official opening the Minister said: "This marks the culmination of over two years of work to complete this new state of the art prisoner accommodation. This occasion marks an important step in the development of the prison estate.

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"Quoile House is the first new block of accommodation to be built at Maghaberry since Braid House opened in 2008. It is an impressive building which offers a wide range of services in a modern prison environment and will provide a valuable contribution to the rehabilitation process. I thank all those involved in the contract."

The new prison block has four distinct landings which address a wide variety of issues which impact on the day to day life of a prisoner.

(CD)