Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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Question 7: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the drug rehabilitation programmes available in each of the prisons here, including St. Patrick's Institution; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5709/10]

Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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Over the past ten years, there has been a significant stepping up of prison drug rehabilitation programmes with the objective of seeking to reduce demand for drugs within the prison system through education, treatment and rehabilitation services for drug-related prisoners. Particular initiatives include the provision of detoxification, methadone maintenance, education programmes, addiction counselling and drug therapy programmes coupled with work, training and education access. Rehabilitation addresses needs beyond the physical management of addiction and also endeavours to equip individuals with life and vocational skills that may help them reintegrate into society on discharge.

Drug rehabilitation programmes for prisoners involve a significant multidimensional input by a diverse range of general and specialist services provided by the Prison Service and visiting statutory and non-statutory organisations. At present, any person entering prison giving a history of opiate use and testing positive for opioids is offered a medically-assisted symptomatic detoxification if clinically indicated. Patients can, as part of the assessment process, discuss with health care staff other treatment options. These may include stabilisation on methadone maintenance for persons who wish to continue on maintenance while in prison and when they return to the community on release. Prisoners who on committal are engaged in a methadone substitution programme in the community will in the main have their methadone substitution treatment continued while in custody.

Mountjoy, Dochas, Cloverhill, Wheatfield, Midlands and Portlaoise Prisons and St. Patrick's Institution offer methadone maintenance and detoxification treatment. Merchants Quay Ireland provides a full range of counselling services to these prisons. Loughan House, Shelton Abbey, Cork and Castlerea Prisons are also serviced by Merchants Quay Ireland who provide addiction counselling services which are in the main focused on alcohol and cannabis addictions and are abstinence driven. In Limerick Prison there are two models of counselling in operation - an abstinence based model and a harm reduction model. The counselling service is provided by Merchants Quay Ireland and ALJEFF Treatment Centre. Methadone substitution treatment is provided if clinically indicated. Merchants Quay Ireland and Coolmine provide a counselling service to the training unit.

It is the intention of the Prison Service, in line with its drugs policy and strategy entitled Keeping Drugs Out of Prisons, to continue the expansion and enhancement of drug treatment services across the prison system and to reduce the demand for drugs within the prison system through enhanced security measures as well as education, treatment and rehabilitation services for drug-addicted prisoners.

Joe Carey (Clare, Fine Gael)
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The reality is that our prisons are awash with drugs. In 2004, the former Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, Michael McDowell, famously promised to rid our jails of drugs within 18 months. That did not happen. People are entering our jails without drug problems and leaving addicted to hard drugs. The only way to break this cycle is through proper rehabilitation for young offenders such as the inmates of St. Patrick's institution.

Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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Has the Deputy a question?

Joe Carey (Clare, Fine Gael)
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I was staggered to learn that only one wing of that institution is drug free. What plans has the Minister devised to improve the rehabilitation services available to young offenders?

Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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Throughout the prison estate, 90 workshops deal with more than 800 prisoners daily.

Joe Carey (Clare, Fine Gael)
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I am asking about drugs.

Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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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.

Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)
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We had an opportunity recently to visit Midlands Prison and it is fair to say we were very impressed by the testing procedures in place there for drugs and other contraband. However, am I not correct in stating that Midlands Prison is an exception and that similarly stringent security provisions are not deployed in other prisons? Serious problems have arisen in Dublin's prisons in regard to the smuggling of drugs and, sadly, we have to deal with circumstances whereby people who entered prison free of drugs are leaving as addicts.

Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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My experience of the prisons I have visited is that stringent security arrangements are deployed to prevent drug smuggling. The body orifice security scanning chair and other scanning devices are extremely sensitive to drugs and mobile telephones. The Deputy probably visited the newer parts of Midlands Prisons but significant investments have also been made on improving security in older wings. However, it is a constant battle because people are devising ever more ingenious methods for smuggling contraband into prisons. Despite what the Deputy may have read, most of recent disturbances in our prisons were caused by the more stringent regime that has been introduced.

Charles Flanagan (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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In regard to sanctions on prisoners who continue to use drugs in prisons, will the Minister consider the concept of non-contact or screened visits?

Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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I would leave such decisions to Irish Prison Service officials because they are the experts in this area. We endeavour to ensure that prisoners do not lose all contact with outside life and that visits are conducted in as humane a manner as possible. The latest arrangements in Midlands Prison have resulted in a sophisticated operation which prevents smuggling even while keeping visits relatively open for families.