Finian McGrath (Dublin North Central, Independent)
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Question 244: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the reason for closing down educational and therapeutic facilities for prisoners. [28356/06]

Michael McDowell (Dublin South East, Progressive Democrats)
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The range of interventions and programmes employed within the prisons to encourage prisoners to bring about positive development in themselves include:

individual and group counselling on offending issues;

programmes in the areas of education, vocational training and lifeskills;

drug treatment;

specific programmes to address criminal behaviour;

one-to-one counselling and support; and

facilitating the involvement of voluntary organisations in providing appropriate prisoner support services.

There has been no termination of prisoner education programmes. As in any adult education setting, the range of courses or programmes available at the different education units will, of course, vary in accordance with prisoners' needs and local circumstances. In several institutions there is a high level of turnover of the prisoner population, which requires a flexible approach with regard to the curriculum content. Thus, on an ongoing basis, some courses may be discontinued and new ones offered in their place, but it would not be appropriate to regard such alterations as a termination of education programmes.

I am arranging to forward the Directory of Prison Education 2006 to the Deputy. The Directory, which gives more details of what is available in the Education Units of different prisons, is prepared annually by the Irish Prison Service's Co-ordinator of Education. Budgetary restraint measures introduced in 2004, in the absence of agreement with the Prisoner Officers' Association on the Change Programme, did impact on the level of some other services to prisoners, even though every effort was made by the prison authorities, and the providers of the services concerned, to minimise the difficulties involved. While the effect on services varied from institution to institution it typically involved more limited access to libraries, gyms, workshops, schools and revised visiting arrangements. In-reach services also experienced some disruption in their services to prisoners as a result of increased waiting times in gaining access to prisoner areas.

The new working arrangements under the agreed Proposal for Organisational Change should, however, not only restore but enhance prisoner regimes in the years ahead, particularly in terms of improving availability and facilities, and making the most of out-of-cell time for prisoners.