Ivana Bacik (Independent)

It was unrelated to bankers but Senator White has seen a link. A debate on the use of imprisonment generally is needed. The report in The Irish Times referred to Dr. Conor O'Neill, a consultant psychiatrist at the Central Mental Hospital, who reports that 8% of male remand prisoners have psychotic symptoms, a rate ten times that in the community generally and which is of immense concern. New prison in-reach and court liaison services were set up to try to divert people from custody. We are lucky to have Professor Harry Kennedy coming to speak at a seminar I am facilitating on the subject of mental health among prisoners which will take place at noon tomorrow in the audio visual room. I ask colleagues to attend it if they can to hear more on the subject.