Frank Feighan (Sligo-Leitrim, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank my colleague for raising this issue. The Minister for Justice yesterday welcomed the publication of the report of the committee for the prevention of torture and fully acknowledges the importance of external oversight and evaluation in helping develop and improve our penal systems. While the report offers encouragement in a number of areas and recognises progress made, it clearly identifies issues that need to be addressed urgently.Among the issues to be welcomed is the introduction by the IPS of a new prisoner complaints system before the end of the year which, when bedded down, will include an oversight role for the Ombudsman. In addition, a review of the prison rules is under way, taking account of the most recently published European model rules. A specifically designed detention facility in Dublin Airport will provide a dedicated short-term facility for persons refused permission to land and will reduce the need to transfer such persons to another facility. The operation, management and governance of special observation cells is being reviewed and a clear distinction between the operation of close supervision cells and safety observation cells will be made. The practice of slopping out has been significantly reduced over recent years, with over €130 million invested in capital projects to improve and modernise the prison estate.

One of the most pressing issues raised by the committee relates to how we provide for the complex needs of people with mental health difficulties who come into contact with the criminal justice system. This is a priority for the Minister for Justice and I am pleased to say that in September, she met my colleague, the Minister for Health, to discuss this. They agreed to establish a high-level, cross-departmental and cross-agency task force to consider the mental health and addiction challenges of those imprisoned, as well as their primary care support on release. This work is under way with a view to planning for and implementing a revised model of care in order to deliver appropriate inpatient and step-down resources in the Central Mental Hospital, CMH, complemented by adequate prison in-reach and community forensic mental health services and supports. The Government acknowledges that every person with mental health difficulties coming into contact with the system should have access to a comprehensive mental health support system and the high-level task force will look at how we deliver this as a matter of urgency. Both the Minister for Health, Deputy Stephen Donnelly, and the Minister for Justice, Deputy McEntee, recognise the urgent need to design and put in place proper systems to care for the most vulnerable people who come into contact with the criminal justice system. It is only fair to acknowledge the very positive comments made by the CPT in its 2019 preliminary report regarding the overall high level of care provided by prison staff to prisoners, which demonstrated a genuine concern among staff for those in custody.