Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)

It is not for me to decide what legislation is used. The Oireachtas provides the legislation and it is up to the Director of Public Prosecutions, based on the evidence in each individual case, to decide on how to direct charges against people and under which legislative provisions.

On the question about the intimidation of prison staff, our prison staff are very professional and to the best of my knowledge, despite difficult circumstances they operate to the best of their ability. I am not aware of any cases of intimidation but I am not saying it has not happened in the past or does not happen now.

In reply to Deputy Flanagan, the results in the Midlands Prison have been very good. The inhibitor is now being moved into the C block and the segregation unit in Portlaoise Prison and it will be commissioned on 20 July. There has been a problem with the original type. The practice in other countries has been examined and we are way ahead of any other country in the inhibition of mobile phones; many countries are now coming here to see the system we have put in place. We have come to the conclusion that while it might not be possible to blanket an entire prison, at least one can deal with certain sections of prisons and house the significant people in those sections and ensure the mobile phones do not operate in those areas.

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