Dáil debates

Wednesday, 24 September 2014

Other Questions

Prison Discipline

10:05 am

Photo of Frances FitzgeraldFrances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Huge efforts are being made to ensure our prisons conform to the highest national and international standards in terms of physical accommodation and the regimes offered to prisoners in care. Many prisons have needed refurbishment and a capital programme is under way.

In regard to the work done with prisoners and efforts to deal with violence in prisons, this is a challenging task. I was in Wheatfield Prison on Saturday at the penal reform conference and was very impressed by the work being done there by the Irish Red Cross with prisoners on eliminating violence in prisons.

That is just one example of the initiatives that are under way in the prisons. Clearly, the role of prison officers is crucial. There have been a number of agreements, under the Haddington Road agreement, for example, in which the Irish Prison Service undertook to engage in a joint examination of all the tasks within the prison system in conjunction with the Prison Officers Association. It examines all the issues, including the organisational, structural and operational arrangements, so prisons such as Mountjoy can operate in the most effective and efficient manner.

The point the Deputy made on slopping out will be dealt with within a very short period because of the refurbishment and changes that have been made in Mountjoy. The changes are very significant.

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