Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)

These workshops provide employment training and education. It is a sad fact of Irish society that a large proportion of those who enter our prisons have drug problems. They have to be dealt with as humanely as possible while they are in prison. It is fair to say they get the same, if not better, rehabilitation treatment within the prison as they would get outside.

Serious efforts are also ongoing on the security side to ensure drug habits are not fed by people smuggling drugs into prisons. It is a constant battle, as Deputy Charles Flanagan would attest in respect of the prison in his own constituency. The latest technology and sometimes invasive security techniques are deployed at that prison to prevent the smuggling of drugs and mobile telephones.

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