Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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Question 126: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the number of prisoners in each prison in each year since 2000 who have been directed by the court to undergo anger management therapy, who have been offered anger management therapy and have availed of such treatment; the number of prisons in which such therapy is available; if anger management therapy was made available to a prisoner (details supplied) as recommended by the court; and if they availed of those services. [21351/06]

Michael McDowell (Dublin South East, Progressive Democrats)
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The Irish Prison Service is not in a position to provide the statistical information requested by the Deputy, however, he can be assured that Court recommendations are treated appropriately and every effort is made to manage a prisoner's sentence in a manner consistent with any such recommendation. The Deputy must appreciate though that this may not always be possible for a number of reasons, for example, security factors, an offender's ability to engage effectively with a service recommended or simply by the prisoner refusing to engage with the appropriate services.

Anger Management group programmes have been provided in a number of institutions. In addition to these specific Anger Management courses, which were run by the Psychology and Probation & Welfare Services, there are also other interventions available in many prisons addressing anger issues for prisoners. These include the Alternatives to Violence courses and the generic therapeutic services provided on a one-to-one and group basis by the Psychology and Probation & Welfare Service. Also, courses aimed at addressing offending behaviour, such as the Sex Offender Programme, do, as appropriate, address anger issues. The number of offenders undergoing interventions targeting anger is not recorded centrally in the Irish Prison Service.

Finally, it would not be appropriate for me to comment on the confidential therapeutic processes undertaken by an individual prisoner.