John O'Mahony (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 96: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if it is his policy to allow the use of mobile phones in prisons with a view to monitoring the communications of prisoners. [32953/08]

Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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There are no circumstances whereby the prison authorities grant or facilitate prisoners with access to mobile phones while in prison custody. 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.

I am determined to deal with the problem of prisoners using mobile phones and, in this context, I believe that technology offers the best solution to dealing with the illegal use of mobile phones by prisoners. Installation of a pilot scheme of technology to prevent the use of mobile phones in prisons began in Midlands/Portlaoise Prison Complex in April 2007. The inhibitors are being introduced on a phased basis in terms both of the physical structure of the prison, i.e., on a building by building basis — and also in terms of communications bands/channels that are being inhibited.

The Midlands Prison module of the pilot scheme is now nearing completion and the Irish Prison Service is at an advanced stage in terms of its acceptance testing procedures. All indications continue to be very positive and, based on the experience so far, installation of inhibitors in the new block in Portlaoise maximum security prison will begin before the end of the year. It is expected that inhibitors will be installed in all our closed prisons over the next 18 to 24 months.