Joe Higgins (Dublin West, Socialist Party)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 301: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the number of psychologists assigned specifically to work on the sex offenders treatment programme; and the number of prisons to which each is allocated; the number of psychologists assigned specifically to work on Parole Board sentence review requirements; and the name of the prisons to which each is assigned. [24256/04]

Joe Higgins (Dublin West, Socialist Party)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 302: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the number of vacant posts for psychologists on the sex offenders treatment programme. [24257/04]

Joe Higgins (Dublin West, Socialist Party)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 303: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the number of vacant posts for psychologists on Parole Board sentence review requirements. [24258/04]

Joe Higgins (Dublin West, Socialist Party)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 304: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the number of probation officers assigned specifically to work on Parole Board sentence review requirements. [24259/04]

Joe Higgins (Dublin West, Socialist Party)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 305: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the number of vacant posts for probation officers on Parole Board sentence review requirements. [24260/04]

Joe Higgins (Dublin West, Socialist Party)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 306: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the grade and number of administrative and clerical staff assigned specifically to work on Parole Board sentence review requirements. [24261/04]

Joe Higgins (Dublin West, Socialist Party)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 307: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the number of vacant posts for administrative and clerical staff on Parole Board sentence review requirements. [24262/04]

Joe Higgins (Dublin West, Socialist Party)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 308: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if his attention has been drawn to the fact that the parole board has encountered difficulties in carrying out its remit by virtue of the non-availability of professional and therapeutic service reports. [24263/04]

Joe Higgins (Dublin West, Socialist Party)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 309: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if he has satisfied himself that the parole board has the necessary resources including professional, therapeutic, administrative and clerical back-up to fulfil its remit without hindrance or delay; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24264/04]

Michael McDowell (Dublin South East, Progressive Democrats)
Link to this: Individually | In context

I propose to take Questions Nos. 301 to 309, inclusive, together.

By way of background, I wish to inform the House that the parole board, which replaced the sentence review group, was established on an administrative basis in April 2001. The board's principal function is to advise me on the administration of long term prison sentences.

The parole board reviews the cases of prisoners sentenced to determinate sentences of eight years or more. Prisoners serving sentences for certain offences, such as the murder of a member of either the Garda Síochána or the Prison Service in the course of their duty, are excluded from the process. The board, by way of recommendation to me, advises of the prisoner's progress to date, the degree to which the prisoner has engaged with the various therapeutic services and how best to proceed with the future administration of the sentence. I consider all recommendations put before me by the parole board before making the final decision regarding sentence management.

There are currently three full time administrative and clerical staff specifically assigned to the parole board's office at the following grades: one assistant principal officer; one higher executive officer; and one clerical officer. There are no administrative or clerical vacancies at the parole board's office and the staffing sanctioned is considered sufficient. The parole board process also necessitates administrative overheads for the Irish Prison Service and my own Department as well as for other agencies from whom reports are requested. These overheads are met from the existing resources of these organisations.

There is currently one psychologist assigned to the sex offender programme operating at Arbour Hill Prison. This is the only sex offender programme currently operating within the Irish Prison Service. The sex offender programme is run jointly with the probation and welfare service and two probation and welfare officers are also assigned to the programme.

Psychologists are also currently assigned to the following institutions: Mountjoy male prison; Wheatfield Prison; Midlands Prison; and Cork Prison. No psychologists are assigned solely to work on reports for the parole board. However, as requests for such reports are made to these institutions, they are completed as part of the range of tasks undertaken by psychologists.

There are currently seven psychologists employed in the Irish Prison Service, one head of service, two senior psychologists and four psychologists. At present, there are 12 vacancies for psychologist posts across the Prison Service. It is hoped to fill a significant number of these posts over the coming months, from a panel formed following a recruitment competition held in June 2004. With the increased resources anticipated, the psychology service will be better placed to meet the complex and diverse needs of the Irish Prison Service for psychological services, including the provision of reports to the paroleboard.

The work of preparing probation and welfare service reports for the parole board is, as was the case with its predecessor the sentence review group, assigned to the 37 probation and welfare officers who work in the various prison institutions in the State. No dedicated staff are assigned for the sole purpose of preparing such reports.

Probation and welfare officers in prisons prepare detailed reports on each person being considered by the parole board. They are often assisted by their colleagues in the community throughout the State who provide them with home circumstances reports, when required, which complement the report on the individual prisoner. The probation and welfare service has an ongoing programme of recruitment in order to maintain its workforce. At present, there is one vacancy in its cohort for prisons and it is expected that this will be filled.

The parole board has been facilitated, whenever it has requested, with reports from the therapeutic services in the prisons. Given the rise in the number of prisoners serving longer sentences which bring them within the ambit of the parole board, it is the case that delays occur from time to time, especially when a number of reports become due within a short period. However, I have been assured that every effort is being made by the various bodies concerned to provide reports at the earliest possible opportunity. As such, I am satisfied that the parole board has adequate resources to carry out its functions satisfactorily.