Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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Question 414: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the action he will take to ensure that the new system of annualised hours in the prison system will no longer result in cutbacks in rehabilitation targeted services to prisoners (details supplied). [2381/07]

Michael McDowell (Dublin South East, Progressive Democrats)
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I am informed by the Irish Prison Service that the additional hours system has not resulted in a curtailment of services to prisoners in Wheatfield Prison. While it is the case that the agreed staffing configurations in the industrial area in Wheatfield Prison have not yet been achieved, it is expected that they will be achieved very shortly. In the meantime, however, all workshops in Wheatfield Prison are open on a daily basis Monday to Friday.

Local management has succeeded in maintaining a high level of service to prisoners. Wheatfield Prison has gained major national and international awards for its kitchen and catering workshop facilities and community services and other awards for a range of other workshops. A very wide range of subjects are taught in the workshops to improve offenders employability on release from custody. For example, a new laundry facility provides accredited training for prisoners which has already facilitated trainees obtaining employment placement on release. A wide range of subjects, which include Open University courses, are also taught in the Education Unit which is operational five days per week, Monday to Friday.

In addition, dedicated additional staff have recently been appointed to Wheatfield Prison in the drug treatment area and Addiction Counsellors will be appointed shortly. This is in line with the Irish Prison Service Drugs Policy & Strategy — 'Keeping Drugs Out of Prisons'. Finally, a new system for focusing on rehabilitation in the prison system, Integrated Sentence Management, has recently been introduced in Wheatfield Prison on a pilot basis.

Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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Question 415: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if his attention has been drawn to the fact that Wheatfield Prison is advertised on the Irish Prison Service website as a place of detention for male adults and juveniles aged 15 years and over; if children under the age of 18 are currently being or have recently been held there; and if he will guarantee in line with the Children Act 2001 that no child will be detained there or in any other prison. [2382/07]

Michael McDowell (Dublin South East, Progressive Democrats)
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I am informed by the Director General of the Irish Prison Service that there was an error on their website in this respect which has now been corrected. I am further informed that on 29 January, 2007 there were no persons aged 17 years or under in Wheatfield Prison and, furthermore, that no such person has been held there in recent times.

The Deputy will be aware that the Children Act 2001, as amended by the Criminal Justice Act 2006, provides for the detention of children aged up to 18 years in children detention schools. It further provides that no child shall be committed to a prison. A transitional provision has been included in the Act to allow for the continued detention of boys aged 16 and 17 in St. Patrick's Institution or another place of detention until such time as sufficient children detention school places are available. These provisions have not been commenced but it is the intention of my colleague the Minister for Children, who has delegated responsibility for the Children Act, to bring the outstanding provisions into force on 1 March, 2007. When implemented, management responsibility for children detention services will be located in the Irish Youth Justice Service, an executive office of my Department, which also has oversight of all other aspects of youth offending responses.