Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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Question 522: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if he will introduce a scheme to require prisoners to contribute to the cost of their imprisonment if they can afford to do so; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32027/07]

Brian Lenihan Jnr (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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There are no plans to implement any mechanism whereby prisoners would be expected to contribute to the overall cost of their imprisonment.

Access to certain services in prison are currently provided without charge and it is not intended to begin charging for these services. For example no charge is currently made for the making of a certain amount of phone calls. Prisoners are currently entitled to a daily phone call including calls to their legal advisor, and this will continue to be the position.

However, section 37 of the Prisons Act, 2007 provides a statutory basis for a number of provisions in the Prison Rules, 2007 which allow a Prison Governor to charge for access to certain services over and above the standard provision to all prisoners, such as use of the videolink, telephone calls and access to materials relating to current affairs (e.g. newspapers, magazines etc.) not related to their imprisonment. The Act also allows for the provision of charges to be made to prisoners for goods or services that are not generally available or on an unlimited basis. This includes access to electronic devices, private medical treatment or escorts provided outside the prison for matters not related to their imprisonment.

Prisoners are provided with access to healthcare services on an equivalent basis to citizens in the general community who are covered by the GMS (Medical Card) service. Section 37 of the Prisons Act, 2007 allows for the Prison Rules to provide, where it is deemed necessary (on the basis of non-convicted status) to facilitate a prisoner with access to elective health care outside the public system, that the prisoner will be responsible for the costs associated with facilitating such provision. Provision of necessary healthcare to all prisoners on an equivalent basis to that provided under the public health system will continue to be funded by the State.

In addition to the escorts costs that would arise in the facilitation of access to elective healthcare outside the public system, prisoners are charged for escorts outside of their place of detention in relation to civil proceedings against third parties. It is not proposed to charge for escorts where the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform or an individual governor is listed as a defendant or co-defendant in such proceedings. It is also not proposed to charge prisoners for appointments relating to any matters before the Residential Institutions Redress Board.