Mr. Justice Kinlen wrote to me recently and indicated that he is concerned about racism in Irish prisons, an issue about which I am concerned and on which the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform, through the prisons service, commissioned a report, which I hope to publish soon. I am concerned about this matter and I have replied to Mr. Justice Kinlen asking him to draw to my attention any instances of racism he comes across in the course of his duty. The most recently published report of the Irish Prisons Service, for the year 2001 – the report for 2002 should be available in the near future – shows that a significant number, approximately 14%, of prison occupants are non-EU nationals. If there is an indication of racism, it is something I take seriously.