Neasa Hourigan (Dublin Central, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

If I could just expand a little, we know the prevalence of ASD might be four times higher in the prison population. We are also aware that we require extra capacity in the prison population in Ireland and there are a number of overcrowding issues. People with ASD have cognitive, sensory and social challenges that would be exacerbated by overcrowding. The Prison Service was before the Joint Committee on Disability Matters not too long ago and I was very impressed with its engagement on the issue but there is only so much it can do to provide services for that very high number of people who have ASD in the prison population when overcrowding is really the problem for those who are struggling with sensory issues. That is a major concern. I would just highlight the importance of peer-to-peer learning and supports and access to programmes that everybody else in the prison system might have. Yesterday Mr. Bernard Gloster was in front of the Joint Committee on Health and we came to the conclusion that CHO 9, which is where Mountjoy is, will probably be one of the last areas to roll out neurorehabilitation programmes. That would certainly be a priority for the prison population.

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