A new prison will not be built in Cork until until the new Dublin prison at Thornton Hall is under construction, a local TD has learned.

Director General of the Irish Prison Service, Brian Purcell, told Fine Gael politician Deirdre Clune the new Dublin facility will provide the opportunity for a new Cork scheme.

However, the continued wrangling over the Thornton Hall plans is likely to set-back works at the Kilworth prison by years.

In 2006 the government made a decision to transfer ownership of the site for the new Cork Prison in Kilworth from the Department of Defence to the Department of Justice.

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However, Ms Clune has insisted even this preliminary step has not been taken.

"Instead of action we have had three years of delay from the government," she said.

Answering questions from the TD, before the Public Accounts Committee, Mr Purcell said: "We are under extreme pressure in Cork Prison owing to the numbers coming through... it will not get any better in the short term because all the indications are that the number of people entering the system is on a consistently upward curve."

He added: "We are under constant pressure in Cork because of the size of the facility... the footprint of the site is so small that the opportunities for development are limited.

"This is why we believe the 160-acre facility at Kilworth will be of assistance. This offers massive potential for putting in place the new prison and, if need be, for further development on the site."

(PR/JM)