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

As already stated, the issues of both drug addiction and the availability of drugs in our prisons are receiving the most serious attention. I have spoken to the director general of the Irish Prison Service in respect of this matter and he assures me that addressing it will be a key strategic action which will involve the introduction of the range of measures I outlined earlier. This issue is not dealt with casually within our prisons. There are serious and ongoing efforts to interrupt any attempts to bring drugs into prisons, including Limerick, Mountjoy etc., and I am sure the Deputy is aware of them. Every effort is made to deal with the new and ingenious ways people visiting prisons try to smuggle in drugs and the means by which those in prison try to obtain access to drugs. This is a persistent issue in prisons in Ireland and internationally. As stated, new initiatives are continually being put in place and I have outlined those that will be implemented during the course of this year in order to interrupt supply of drugs into prisons and to deal with the problems to which they give rise.

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