Seymour Crawford (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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Question 446: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the amount it costs to keep a prisoner in Mountjoy for one day and one week; the amount it costs to keep a similar prisoner in Loughan House for one day and one week; his views on whether it is good practice to keep a person in Mountjoy whose issue is a drink related problem; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26579/05]

Michael McDowell (Dublin South East, Progressive Democrats)
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Regarding detaining a prisoner in Mountjoy Prison who has a drink related problem, the specialist probation and welfare service team established as part of the prison-based drug treatment services initiative provides alcohol and addiction awareness programmes and other addiction-related programmes in the North Circular Road complex, as well as its work with community-based addiction projects. The probation and welfare service also facilitates meetings between Alcoholics Anonymous members and prisoners.

There are other factors which are taken into consideration when a prisoner's placement is decided. Those factors include the nature of the offence, the length of sentence served, behaviour while in custody, the risk of absconding, the extent to which that person has engaged with the therapeutic services and, most importantly, the perceived threat that the person may pose to the community. The Deputy will appreciate that issues from a security perspective are particularly relevant when consideration is given to a person wishing to transfer to an open centre such as the one at Loughan House, County Cavan.

The cost of keeping an offender in Mountjoy Prison and Loughan House is set out hereunder.