Written answers

Wednesday, 25 March 2009

Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform

Irish Prison Service

9:00 pm

Photo of Charles FlanaganCharles Flanagan (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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Question 135: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the number of mobile phones seized in each of the prisons here in 2008 and to date in 2009; the measures put in place in each prison to prevent mobile phone use by prisoners; the categories of visitor and staff in each prison permitted to enter the prison with mobile phones on their person; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12413/09]

Photo of Dermot AhernDermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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Details of mobile phone seizures for 2008 and recent figures for 2009 are set out in the following table.

Mobile Phone Seizures for 2008 and up to 20.03.09
Prison/Place of Detention20082009 (to 20.03.09)
Arbour Hill32
Castlerea10621
Cloverhill12810
Cork648
Dóchas Centre5514
Limerick29287
Loughan House589
Midlands13613
Mountjoy (Male)580137
Portlaoise4119
Shelton Abbey7227
St. Patrick's16025
Training Unit12017
Wheatfield23242
Total2,047431

It is important to note that a large percentage of these seizures are not directly from prisoners but are instead retrieved at entry point or before they get to the prisoner population. This is a direct consequence of newly introduced security measures.

Mobile phones are viewed as highly valuable commodities which would assist in illegal activity and eliminating their supply is one of the major challenges facing prisons 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 and x-ray machines are now in operation at the entrances to all the relevant closed prisons. Cell and area searches for contraband such as mobile phones take place in all prisons on a daily basis. These include random, targeted and intelligence led searches. These searches have been particularly effective and local intelligence indicates that the availability of mobile phones has decreased across the prison system.

No visitors are permitted to enter prisons while in possession of a mobile phone. Only Governor grades are permitted to enter prisons with a mobile phone on their person.

The figures provided reflect the position following an audit and standardisation of procedures across the prisons estate for the recording of finds of this nature. Statistics pertaining to the discovery of sim cards, batteries and other mobile telephone components are not included.

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