Mr. Aidan O'Driscoll:

A broader issue in this regard was raised in the report of the Commission on the Future of Policing in Ireland. It raises the issue of the use of gardaí for prison escorts. The commission felt it was not a great use of garda time and not a core function. It picked up on a value-for-money review that was carried out on this question in 2017. As part of the implementation programme concerning the Commission on the Future of Policing in Ireland, there will be a strand looking specifically at the question of prison escorts and how we can rationalise the process, taking into account the increased use of video but also examining the use of gardaí and Prison Service staff and the optimal arrangement.