Michael McDowell (Dublin South East, Progressive Democrats)

I fully agree with the Deputy that rehabilitation must be at the heart of the prison process. At present, 210 whole-time teacher equivalents work in the Prison Service, of whom 37 have been assigned specifically to literacy duties. Consequently, resources are being devoted to this area.

The Deputy referred to the curtailment of education services that obtained during the emergency arrangements that were necessary to confront the overtime issue before the initiation of the reform process in the prison system. Now that annualised hours have been agreed and the system is working on an even keel, the position has improved significantly from the period covered by the reports of the Inspector of Prisons. There is a far better emphasis on education throughout the Prison Service that I have noticed in my visits to the prison system. Now that this dispute has been resolved, a major concentration on, and re-orientation towards, education is under way.

As I noted, 37 out of the 210 whole-time equivalents engaged in teaching in the Prison Service have been assigned specifically to literacy work.

See this speech in context