Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The Deputy identified something that could apply to most of the Votes. Some of the changes brought about by Covid-19, be they in An Garda Síochána, the Irish Prison Service or the Courts Service, have been made out of necessity but, hopefully, they will remain and ensure the smoother and better running of the Irish Prison Service and other services. Regarding additional funding to support the development of services to include additional ICT to allow for visits, using technology to invest in the Courts Service and going back to our previous Vote, An Garda Síochána, the increased use of technology is beneficial not just in saving time and resources such as prison staff or gardaí not being required to travel to courts or different hearings, it is also beneficial for prisoners as it prevents taking people in and out when it is not necessary. There are a lot of advantages to some of the changes that have been made. In dealing with the Irish Prison Service specifically on this question, its intention is that any of these improvements would continue irrespective of whether we are still in the midst of Covid.

The Central Mental Hospital is not part of the prisons Vote but I am very conscious that there is a significant problem in that there are people in prison who have significant mental health problems and require significant help and have a dual diagnosis where they have mental health problems and drug or alcohol addiction. I brought a memorandum to Cabinet today to establish a mental health task force to examine prisons, the care provided, follow-on care when people enter the community and how we can prevent that cycle from continuing where people do not get the support they need and find themselves back in prison. Some of the consultation we will undertake involves identifying people with mental health challenges or a dual diagnosis of mental health difficulties and drug or alcohol addition challenges so it will cover much of what the Deputy raised. Our former colleague, Kathleen Lynch, will chair the group, which between the Departments of Justice and Health will consider many recommendations that have been set out in a number of reports published in the past few years and build on other work that has been done between our community health teams, within the Irish Prison Service and working with the Central Mental Hospital. Significant work has been done there but there is a lot of work still to do, particularly given the lack of bed capacity or spaces and the fact that the Irish Prison Service is dealing with prisoners with severe mental issues or other diagnoses. We need to make sure we have the capacity to support them but that they are supported in the most appropriate way while at the same time, acknowledging that some of these people have committed crimes and are in prison because of that. I hope to progress that work having brought that memorandum to Cabinet today. I will support the work of the committee in respect of any recommendations it makes.