Maureen O'Sullivan (Dublin Central, Independent)
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Question 210: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the number of prisoners in Mountjoy Prison, Clover Hill Prison and St. Patrick's Institution, Dublin, suffering from mental health illnesses and issues; and the resources available to them in prison. [6000/10]

Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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Ireland is no exception to the international phenomenon where the prevalence of severe mental illness is significantly worse among offenders and prisoners in custody compared to the general population. To properly discharge our responsibilities to prisoners with a mental health disability it is essential that we seek to integrate and further develop services, with statutory and voluntary partners. Mental health service provision in prisons must form part of the overall community response to this disability. In recent years, the Irish Prison Service has specifically sought to actively recruit nurses with a mental health background. As a consequence, the skill profile among that group has significantly changed and the health care team in our custodial institutions team are better equipped to meet the mental health needs of prisoners. Current arrangements between the Central Mental Hospital (CMH) and the Irish Prison Service have ensured that 20 consultant-led in-reach forensic mental health sessions are held weekly in prisons in Dublin and Portlaoise. The waiting list for admission to the CMH is reviewed weekly on the basis of reports, following assessments, and the relevant priority is attached to each likely submission. In late 2008 and early 2009, ten additional beds were made available at the CMH. The availability of the additional beds has been of considerable assistance to prison management and healthcare staff in tackling waiting lists for prisoners who require admission to the CMH in providing appropriate mental healthcare to treat acutely mentally ill prisoners. The number of prisoners that engaged with the Mental Health Services in Mountjoy, St. Patrick's and Cloverhill Institutions over the months Nov 2009, Dec 2009 and Jan 2010 are set out in the table below.

Institution Mountjoy St. Patrick's Cloverhill

Nov-09 24 32 32

Dec-09 25 25 28

Jan-10 27 23 36

The Mental Health Services in Mountjoy are provided by staff from the Central Mental Hospital, on a sessional basis. This service is led by a Consultant Forensic Psychiatrist, and compromises of four registrar led clinics, one consultant led session and three CPN (Community Psychiatric Nurse) led sessions. The service has been enhanced with the recent establishment of a nurse led mental health clinic. The opening of the refurbished Separation Unit in Mountjoy Prison later in the year, will facilitate improved facilities for the assessment, treatment and ongoing supervision of vulnerable prisoners in an appropriate setting. Decisions will then be made by the clinical team regarding their future case management either within the prison estate or in an external clinical setting. Cloverhill Prison has a dedicated Psychiatric Inreach and Court Liaison Service which attends the prison five days a week. The service is led by a Consultant Forensic Psychiatrist, two registrars and three community mental health nurses. All new committals are screened and assessed by IPS nursing and medical staff and receive a further screen by the Psychiatric Inreach and Court Liaison Service. Those requiring review are then assessed by the Psychiatric Inreach and Court Liaison Service. The Cloverhill Prison Inreach and Court Liaison Service received awards for best hospital project and best overall healthcare project "An Duais Mor" at the 2009 Irish Healthcare Awards.

In addition to arranging for treatment in prison and transfers to the Central Mental Hospital, the service has facilitated diversion of over 300 patients, mainly charged with very minor offences to local treatment facilities, following liaison with the courts. An Adult Forensic Psychiatrist attends St. Patrick's Institution for 12 hours a week. All new referrals are seen at the first opportunity on a needs basis. St. Patrick's Institution also has a senior psychiatric registrar from the CMH assigned to it who attends once per week. All referrals specifically requested by the GP and any prisoner that the health care multidisciplinary team have concerns about are reviewed by this CMH psychiatrist. In addition, an addiction psychiatrist from the HSE provides one session per week to St. Patrick's Institution.