Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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Question 140: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform his views on whether the prisons inspector has no mandate to comment on the issue of prison privatisation (details supplied). [29959/05]

Michael McDowell (Dublin South East, Progressive Democrats)
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The inspector of prisons and places of detention, Mr. Justice Dermot Kinlen, was appointed in April 2002. His terms of reference are as follows: "To inspect and report, as the inspector considers appropriate, to the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform on prisons and other places of detention managed on behalf of the Department by the Irish Prison Service; report in particular on conditions in those institutions and on the regimes in place for prisoners and detainees; investigate and report on any specific issue referred to the inspectorate by the Minister; and submit to the Minister an annual report on the activities of the inspectorate."

The inspector of prisons is independent in the exercise of his functions and the contents of his annual reports to me are a matter for him to determine.