Charles Flanagan (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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Question 282: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the number of psychologists currently appointed to the Irish Prison Service; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34724/09]

Charles Flanagan (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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Question 283: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the number of psychologists working on the sex offenders programme in prisons here; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34725/09]

Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 282 and 283 together.

The Psychology service has an authorised staff complement of 21, comprising one head of psychology, six senior psychologists, 11 psychologists and three psychology assistants. Of this staff, five are assigned to Arbour Hill, five are assigned to Wheatfield Prison and three to the Midlands Prison. Arbour Hill is the designated centre for delivery of a new programme of sex offender interventions introduced in January 2009. Wheatfield Prison and Midlands Prison are satellite centres for sex offenders and also deliver a range of interventions. The Psychology service offers group and individual interventions to all prisoners. Sex offenders can avail of these interventions in addition to the new programme available in Arbour Hill. Group interventions include programmes on motivational enhancement, relapse prevention, anxiety management, dialectical behaviour therapy, stress management, enhanced thinking skills and anger control. Individual interventions comprise therapeutic work focusing on mental health care and offence-related issues, motivational counselling and crisis counselling.