Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The Irish Prison Service is providing a comprehensive range of drug treatment services, not just the units that I described. These are designed to meet the needs of the prison population as a whole. At present, any person entering prison giving a history of opioid use and testing positive is offered a medically assisted symptomatic detoxification if clinically indicated. Patients can, as part of the assessment process, discuss with health care staff other treatment options. Drug rehabilitation programmes for prisoners involve a significant multidimensional input by a diverse range of general and specialist services provided both by the Prison Service and visiting statutory and non-statutory organisations. Prisoners who on committal are engaged in an opioid substitution programme in the community will have their substitution treatment continued while in custody. Methadone substitution treatment is available in ten of the 14 prisons, accommodating over 80% of the prison population.

Drug treatment pharmacist services are available in Mountjoy, Dóchas, Midlands and Portlaoise prisons. Pharmacists are responsible for all aspects of drug treatment, mainly methadone - dispensing, administration, recording, ordering, storage, etc. - in those prisons, thus ensuring that drug treatment is provided on an equivalent basis to that available in the community. The HSE provides consultant-led inreach addiction services to both Cloverhill and Wheatfield prisons. Merchants Quay Ireland provides a national addiction counselling service for prisoners with drug and alcohol problems in prisons and places of detention where prisoners require such a service. There is a whole range of services available to prisoners who have drug addiction issues.

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