Clare Daly (Dublin North, Socialist Party)

I appreciate that the Minister has said some of the practices are unacceptable and that is important. However, there is a contradiction between what was stated in some of the visiting committees' reports and what was stated subsequently by the Irish Prison Service. Will the Minister, therefore, examine the idea of publishing the findings of the internal investigation into the incidents mentioned because completely different things have been said?

Overcrowding and doubling up are the cause of many problems in prisons. In-cell sanitation facilities are not an issue in the Dóchas Centre, but to promote this positively as being addressed by the provision of 70 dormitory places in the centre is not appropriate. It is a backward step. There are in-cell sanitation facilities in all rooms in the centre. However, having 70 dormitory places in the facility will be a nightmare. Having women trebling or quadrupling up in a dormitory will be a nightmare both for inmates and staff. The Minister needs to address the change of ethos in the facility.

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