Damien English (Meath West, Fine Gael)
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Question 93: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the number of mobile phones that have been seized from Irish prisons annually in the years 2007 and to date in 2008; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32777/08]

Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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The information requested by the Deputy is set out in the table.

The Deputy will no doubt be aware that the problem of mobile phone use in prisons is a major challenge for prison services worldwide. The Irish Prison Service is dealing with this problem through a multifaceted approach which incorporates measures to prevent the smuggling of mobile phones into prisons, search and find operations aimed at locating and removing phones from within the prisons and the installation of mobile phone blocking technology.

Airport style scanners, x-ray machines, etc., are in operation at the entrances to most of our closed prisons and the installation programme for the remaining prisons is nearing completion. Cell and area searches for contraband such as mobile phones take place in all our prisons on a daily basis. These include random, targeted and intelligence led searches, many of which are now carried out by the recently established Operational Support Group. It is my understanding that these searches have been particularly effective and local intelligence indicates that the availability of mobile phones is now at a very low level in the prison system.

The technological approach involves the installation of mobile phone inhibitors throughout a prison complex. This is ground-breaking technology which is being developed in the Midlands Prison. The indications so far are positive enough to convince me that it is a worthwhile programme and merits commencement of the second module of the scheme. This will see the installation of an inhibition system beginning in Portlaoise Prison before the end of the year.

The Deputy will be aware that Section 36 of the Prisons Act 2007, which was brought into operation from 1 May 2007, makes it an offence for prisoners to have unauthorised possession of or use mobile telecommunications devices. Under the Act it is also an offence to supply such a device to a prisoner. The penalty for such an offence, on summary conviction, is a fine not exceeding €5,000 or imprisonment for a term not exceeding 12 months or both, and on conviction on indictment, to a fine not exceeding €10,000 or imprisonment for a term not exceeding 5 years or both.