Mr. Fergal Black:

To pick up on the point about rehabilitation, we have recruited chaplains and have significantly increased psychology resources because we are growing that. We have also recruited nurses in the past two months. We brought in six new resettlement support workers because we see the importance of the Prison Service being outward-looking, working with organisations to facilitate the transition from custody to community. Our resettlement support workers link in. We now have a protocol drafted with the County and City Management Association on accommodation provision. We have a memorandum of understanding with the HSE to ensure those eligible for medical cards have continuation on release and with the Department of Social Protection. This is always difficult for us because the media can portray it differently but we see this very much as providing protective factors for people leaving prison to ensure society is safer. If someone has uninterrupted prescriptions, access to a general practitioner, accommodation and income, we believe they have a significant chance. Our job is to make these links. We cannot provide the services - we are the Prison Service - but we have fairly effectively mobilised the other organisations in the State to help us to ensure this transition is successful.