Joe Costello (Dublin Central, Labour)
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Question 627: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if he will detail the circumstances under which a person (details supplied) was taken into custody and shortly afterwards transferred to the intensive care unit of a Dublin northside hospital. [22876/05]

Michael McDowell (Dublin South East, Progressive Democrats)
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I have received a number of reports on this matter from the Garda authorities who have informed me that on 2 June, 2005, the person referred to by the Deputy was arrested for an offence under Section 112 of the Road Traffic Acts 1964-1994 unauthorised taking of a vehicle, and conveyed to Store Street Garda station. Upon arrival, the person was processed, subjected to a search and placed in a cell in accordance with standard procedures The person was checked in his cell by the Garda on duty on five occasions, and nothing unusual was found.

When the Garda on duty next went to the cell, the person was found hanging from a ligature around his neck, which was suspended from a permanent fixture in the cell. The ligature used was the cord from the waist band of the person's tracksuit. The person was taken down, cardio-pulmonary resuscitation was commenced and an ambulance was called. The procedure continued until the arrival of Dublin Fire Brigade ambulance personnel and the person was conveyed to hospital. The person concerned currently remains in intensive care.

The cell area was sealed off and an investigation into the circumstances of this incident immediately commenced. A superintendent from outside the division has been appointed to oversee this investigation, which is ongoing