Joe Carey (Clare, Fine Gael)
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Question 116: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the annual budget of St. Patrick's institution in each year since 2002; the comparing annual population of the prison; the annual cost since 2002 per prisoner; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9387/09]

Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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It is not possible to provide figures for the annual budget of St. Patrick's Institution as the Irish Prison Service does not allocate specific annual budgets for the operation of each institution. The below provides information relating to the annual average prisoner population and the annual cost per prisoner for each of the years in question. The figure for 2008 is not yet available as the Appropriation Account has yet to be finalised.

The cost per prisoner is based on the overall operating costs in each year, i.e, the actual running costs, such as pay, light and heat, food, maintenance, small works, etc., and also includes certain fixed costs that arise irrespective of the number of prisoners in custody, e.g. staffing numbers, utilities, etc. In addition, all headquarters and central service costs are allocated over the prison establishments for the purpose of calculating the cost per prisoner at each location. Major capital expenditure is excluded from the calculation in the interest of facilitating comparison between individual institution costs.

The increase in the annual cost per prisoner during the period 2004 to 2007 is due primarily to pay increases under the National Pay Agreements and an increase in staff numbers at St. Patrick's Institution from 181 in 2004 to 218 in 2007. The increase in staffing relates in part to the opening of the Special School for 16 and 17 year olds at that Institution. There was also significant investment in work and training facilities at St. Patrick's Institution, with new workshops being opened during the period.