James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

That is very important. We saw only a few weeks ago the opening of the new forensic mental health hospital at Portrane. It is a state-of-the-art facility. I visited it. The fact that somebody is in prison should in no way diminish his or her entitlement to appropriate medical healthcare. The forensic mental health hospital will provide just that.

We also established in the Department of Justice the high-level mental health task force in conjunction with the Department of Health. It made recommendations and many of them now have been implemented and continue to be implemented. They are an absolute priority for the Minister. She set up the high-level task force on mental health in order to identify any gaps in the mental health services and to ensure that prisoners were getting the services that they need. They simply were not getting the services around mental health and addiction. Our aim is - we are working towards ensuring - that people in prison get the supports that they need. Going to prison is the punishment. There should not be further punishment in prison by a diminution of one's entitlement to services.