Alex White (Dublin South, Labour) | Oireachtas source

Like the Deputy, I regret the incident that occurred the other day, particularly from the perspective of the prison officers involved. Prison officers are professionals who do a great job, often under considerable pressure and not least in the context of an incident such as this, which may well be an unusual and isolated one. I agree with the Deputy that the welfare of prison officers and personnel across the board, whether in the health service, the Prison Service or An Garda Síochána, is paramount. Like I am sure all Members, I join the Deputy in wishing the prison officers involved in the incident a speedy recovery.

The Deputy will appreciate and know that this is and remains an operational matter for An Garda Síochána, in the first instance in this jurisdiction, and for the Police Service of Northern Ireland which I understand has custody of the individual concerned. In these circumstances, it would not be appropriate nor is it possible for me to comment on any aspect of the incident.

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