James Lawless (Kildare North, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Following on from that last exchange, regarding prisoners purchasing items in prisons, and Deputy Carroll MacNeill mentioned the tuckshop and various products the prisoners may wish to buy, it was reported that there was an issue in some prisons whereby the families of prisoners could not lodge money for them to be held on account or in a credit system. Some prisoners may not have bank accounts, economic literacy or, in some cases, any literacy whatsoever. I also understand that a credit system operates in at least one prison, and perhaps more, where people can lodge money and have it recorded on someone's ledger. Some prisons, however, do not. Is the Minister of State in a position to comment on this aspect?