Fórsa has highlighted it’s concerns over the closure, this week, of the chapel in Mountjoy prison on behalf of the union’s prison service chaplain members. It was reported this week that the chapel is to be repurposed to accommodate video booths.

The booths are being constructed in order to respond to a requirement for the Irish Prison Service to rapidly increase video link capacity, to deal with a sharp increase in demand for prisoners to attend court via video link. 

Fórsa official Paul Moyer said the chaplain members have been deeply distressed, both by the haste of the moves by prison management to close the chapel, and what he described as “the complete lack of engagement or consultation between prison management and the chaplains” on the issue.  

Paul added: “While management has committed to providing updates on developments, it has refused any consultation or engagement. The closure at this time will mean no services can be accommodated during the Advent and Christmas period, including Christmas Day.

“One of our chaplain members was refused keys to enter the chapel this week and it was effectively closed on Monday (25th November) without consultation. Chaplains were informed only last week about the closure, but there was no other engagement prior to that,” he said.

The repurposing of the chapel requires that it be deconsecrated, while Fórsa’s chaplain membership also expressed concern that the repurposing of the chapel will amount to the removal of the constitutional right of prisoners to congregate and worship in person. Management has advised that, following the construction work, the chapel will be reopened and retain a capacity of up to 96 people.

Paul said these measures require, at the very least, some form of consultation and an agreed plan to transition the chapel in the appropriate fashion: “Instead, Mountjoy’s management have effectively steamrolled over any considerations. In addition, the eight-week construction period – during which the chapel will be closed to prisoners - commenced this week despite management assurances that work wouldn’t start until 2nd December,” he said.

The chapel at Mountjoy falls within the archdiocese of Dublin.

Fórsa's intervention this week prompted the Irish Prison Service to advise the Governor of Mountjoy to meet with the chaplains to discuss their concerns.

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