Niall Collins (Limerick, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The entire country was shocked at the escape from Tallaght hospital this week of a high profile dangerous criminal while attending a medical appointment. People were particularly struck by the vicious assault perpetrated on the prison officers detailed to take him to that appointment. Fianna Fáil and everybody in the House want to condemn that attack and wish the prison officers who were subject to this assault a speedy recovery. We also ask that the Irish Prison Service make every resource available to aid their proper recovery and welfare.

What was of most concern to the public was that the person in question was a high profile prisoner who had previously escaped from a UK prison. We now know from reports that the Irish Prison Service had previously requested armed escorts on a number of occasions when this prisoner was leaving prison to attend medical appointments, but that these requests were declined by An Garda Síochána. This raises a number of serious questions, in particular about the level of Garda resources available and afforded to the Irish Prison Service for these escorts. The incident also raises questions about the welfare of prison staff in terms of the equipment available to them such as stab vests, pepper spray and batons. We have heard that the Prison Officers Association has sought the provision of this equipment. There is also the wider question of the welfare of front-line emergency workers, including gardaí, prison officers, nurses and doctors working in emergency departments and the fire service.

Since the incident in question happened, a Garda investigation has been ongoing and the Irish Prison Service is also conducting an investigation. Bearing in mind the past record of the individual concerned of escaping from custody, the public fails to understand the statement made by the Taoiseach yesterday that the failure to provide a Garda escort had nothing to do with cutbacks or a lack of resources for An Garda Síochána. Against the backdrop of that amazing statement by the Taoiseach yesterday and given the two investigations which are a work in progress - we know that the Taoiseach is not authoring these reports or carrying out the investigations - does the Minister agree with the Taoiseach's statement that this incident had nothing to do with a lack of Garda resources? Arising from this event, will the Minister or the Government inform us of the number of previous occasions the Irish Prison Service had its requests for escorts declined by An Garda Síochána, either owing to a lack of resources or for any other reason?

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