Ciarán Lynch (Cork South Central, Labour)
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Question 251: To ask the Minister for Justice and Law Reform the number of children who have a parent in prison each year; the policies in place to mitigate the damage caused to children by the imprisonment of a parent; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47717/10]

Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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I can inform the Deputy that the Irish Prison Service does not collect statistics on the children of prisoners.

As part of its overall strategy in relation to the rehabilitation of prisoners, the Irish Prison Service pursues a service-wide approach aimed at sustaining and maintaining prisoners' relationships with their families, in as normal a manner as possible. The Service continues to work in partnership with the Probation Service and other statutory, voluntary and community agencies and services to provide best possible service and supports to prisoners' families.

Purpose-built centres for prison visitors are located outside the main entrances of Mountjoy Prison, St. Patrick's Institution, Limerick Prison, Cloverhill Prison and the Midlands Prison and Castlerea. They offer comfortable waiting facilities, light refreshment and, in some instances, a crèche.

Under the Prison Rules sentenced prisoners are entitled to one visit per week but additional special visits for compassionate or family reasons are approved at the Governor's discretion. The option of providing longer visits may be granted where circumstances permit. Remand prisoners are entitled to a visit on any week day. Sentenced prisoners are also entitled to one phone call per day while remand prisoners are entitled to not less than five phone calls per week. The Governor of the prison also has the discretion to grant prisoners special phone calls for family compassionate reasons.

The majority of visits are supervised in sight, but not in hearing, of prison staff to ensure good order and security and to prevent the passing of contraband. Some institutions have visiting boxes or family rooms that trusted prisoners can avail of for non-screened family visits. The 'family visit' system is incentive based and is very successful. Prisoners are facilitated with non-screened family visits if they take a full and active part in the regime available and if they have not had a disciplinary report for a period of time in advance of the family visit taking place.

Families can also expect that offenders will be accommodated close to them. Prisoners are accommodated in prisons as close to their family where possible subject to operational and security considerations. It is open to all prisoners to apply for temporary release for milestone family events such as communions, confirmations etc. All requests for temporary release or escorted outings are considered on a case by case basis and subject to appropriate security considerations.