Deirdre Clune (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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Question 95: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the drug rehabilitation programmes available in each of the State's prisons; the number of prisoners who have engaged in such programmes in each prison each year for the past five years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14343/09]

Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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The Irish Prison Service continues to implement its 2006 Drugs Policy & Strategy, entitled Keeping Drugs Out of Prison. At present, any person entering prison giving a history of opiate use and testing positive for opioids on committal are offered a medically assisted symptomatic detoxification if clinically indicated. Patients can, as part of the assessment process, discuss with healthcare staff other treatment options which may include stabilization on methadone maintenance for persons who wish to continue on maintenance while in prison and when they return to the community on release. Methadone maintenance is available in 8 of the 14 places of detention accommodating over 80% of the prison population. The table below provides the number of prisoners who received opiate substitution treatment with methadone (detox, stabilisation or maintenance) since 2003.

Drug users can present with multiple and complex problems. For that reason a multidisciplinary approach is needed to effectively care for this group and best practice would indicate that maintenance of a personalised therapeutic relationship yields the best outcomes. To assist this process,specialist addiction nursing posts were developed in the Irish Prison Service with a view to streamlining care and throughcare back into the community.

The Medical Unit in Mountjoy Prison has 9 spaces specifically allocated for a therapeutic drug free programme. This intensive programme is 6 weeks in duration and includes involvement from both prison based staff and external community agencies. Its aim is to assist prisoners in achieving a drug free status.

A further development has been the awarding of a contract for the provision of addiction counselling services to Merchants Quay Ireland. I am glad to tell the Deputy that this contract has been rolled out, and addiction counselling services are now available in prisons and places of detention where prisoners require such a service. The addiction counselling service delivers approximately 1000 hours per week of prisoner access to addiction counselling.

In addition, prisoners have access to a range of medical and rehabilitative services such as psychosocial services and work and training options which can also assist in addressing their substance misuse issues. This multifaceted approach is designed to meet the diverse needs of prisoners. Whilst it is not possible to give comprehensive detail on the total number of prisoners engaged in the various treatment modalities I can, as an example of one specific intervention, tell the Deputy that there were 2487 treatment episodes using methadone substitution in 2008.