Jack Chambers (Dublin West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The use of therapeutic communities within the Irish Prison Service has been discussed at a policy level for quite some time. Coolmine Therapeutic Community has a very successful recovery approach which is sometimes followed during the period of a prisoner's sentence in co-operation with the Irish Prison Service. Has a political decision been made to fund therapeutic communities which work really well in the United Kingdom? The initiative warrants the adoption of a proactive policy approach here.

As we all know every prison has a complex history. Prisons needs to be properly funded. It is not just a headline about educational services or acute intervention, which are important, but it is the pathway out of prison that prevents recidivism and all the difficulties we see.

Is the Minister considering that option, would he agree to pilot or fund such an intervention because it is within his jurisdiction? This has been discussed but nothing substantive has been announced about trying it. I think if we were to do so, it would work well and will help the prison population and the broader communities that we live in.