Dan Neville (Limerick West, Fine Gael)
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Question 272: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the number of prisoners who were placed in padded cells in 2003, 2004 and to date in 2005; and the prisons where same took place. [39738/05]

Michael McDowell (Dublin South East, Progressive Democrats)
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As the Deputy is aware, I previously gave a commitment to abolish the use of old style padded cells which I regard as unsatisfactory in today's prison estate. As a result, newly designed and improved cells have now been completed in Cloverhill Prison, Castlerea Prison, St. Patrick's Institution, Mountjoy Prison, the Dóchas Centre and Arbour Hill Prison. Furthermore, work is either underway or is about to commence on similar cells in Limerick Prison, Midlands Prison, Wheatfield Prison and Cork Prison. It is therefore anticipated that the use of the old style padded cells will be eliminated in the Irish prison system by the middle of next year.

With this in mind, the information requested by the Deputy is set out in the table. However, it should be noted that the figures refer to placements — the same prisoner may be placed in such a cell more than once in a year — and some of the figures for 2005 are composite in nature and include placement in both the old style padded cells and the redesigned safety observation cells.