Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Tuesday, 30 March 2021

Select Committee on Justice and Equality

Estimates for Public Services 2021
Vote 20 - Garda Síochána (Revised)
Vote 21 - Prisons (Revised)
Vote 22 - Courts Service (Revised)
Vote 24 - Justice (Revised)
Vote 41 - Policing Authority (Revised)
Vote 44 - Data Protection Commission (Revised)

Photo of Martin KennyMartin Kenny (Sligo-Leitrim, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister. May I return to the previous Vote for a moment to make one small point? On the question I asked on the Garda Reserve, I am a little confused. Perhaps I could get clarity in writing later. The Minister seemed to indicate there will be fewer Garda reserves or that the matter is under review, yet the departmental briefing refers to €150,000 for last year and €1.395 million, or almost €1.4 million, for this year. There is a trebling of the funding for the Garda Reserve at a time the Minister is basically saying it is being frozen. Perhaps there is a mistake or some clarity is needed on that. She can respond later in writing. There is no need to worry about it at the moment.

On the prisons budget, we need to use to our advantage what Covid has given us. I am referring, in particular, to how video technology has assisted in not requiring prisoners to travel so much between prison and court. Perhaps some of these developments can be kept as we move on. They do not have to end when Covid ends because considerable efficiencies have evolved that allow for smoother management. We should consider where the technology has worked well and whether it can be extended to other parts of the prison service.

With regard to the additional funding to do more work on the prisons, provide more buildings and space and improve quality, I am particularly interested in the move of the Central Mental Hospital to Portrane. I suppose we need to have some clarity on it. There has been some talk by the Central Mental Hospital about how it can achieve clarity on all this because it is, in effect, taking into its care people who are committed by the courts, yet it is a hospital providing a health service. Some work needs to be done on that. I am also concerned that very many of the people who end up on the relevant programme are people who have had psychotic episodes because of drug abuse and drug addiction. They can end up in the hospital under those circumstances.

I have heard from gardaí on the beat that very often, when they have people they know are a danger to themselves and the public - often times, they are underage - and they want to find somewhere to put them, there is nowhere they can go with them. The spaces are all full. I know the new facility will have additional spaces, which is welcome, but I am hearing is that the additional spaces in Portrane will not be adequate to deal with the extent of this problem. The impact of crack cocaine on young people in these circumstances in recent months, particularly in Dublin, will put more pressure on that service. I do not have a specific question about the budget but I feel that we need an emphasis to ensure our Prison Service meets those challenges because they are real challenges that will hit us very hard if we cannot cope with them in the future. Sometimes people who should be in a safe space are not and can go out and harm themselves or other people. We have seen the consequences of that recently. I do not want to get into any specific cases but it is certainly having a real impact on people and the families of those individuals, who feel they should be put away somewhere because they are a danger to themselves, their families and the public. This needs urgent attention.

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