Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)

A visiting committee is appointed by the Minister for Justice and Equality to each prison under the Prisons (Visiting Committees) Act 1925 and Prisons (Visiting Committees) Order 1925. There are currently 14 visiting committees, one for each institution.

The function of visiting committees is to visit at frequent intervals the prison to which they are appointed and to hear any complaints which may be made to them by any prisoner. They report to me any abuses observed or found by them in the prison and any repairs which they believe may be urgently required. The visiting committee members have free access either collectively or individually to every part of their prison.

Details of visits, including announced and unannounced visits, along with the arrangements generally made by committees are for the most part contained in the prison visiting committee annual reports for 2010 which I published on 18 November 2011. These reports along with reports from previous years are available on my Department's website. In the case of St Patrick's Institution, the committee reported that they met monthly and carried out 48 random unannounced visits in 2010.

I have previously stated my intention to strengthen the independent oversight of our prisons. Under new legislation to be prepared, I intend to make visiting committees more effective while they continue their role of visiting prisoners and prisons and liaising on their behalf with prison authorities. The arrangements for membership of the committees will be changed and a link will be established between the visiting committees and the Inspector of Prisons in Ireland. I believe this will provide for a more integrated approach generally and will enhance independent oversight of our prison system.

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