Charles Flanagan (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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Question 181: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the number of mobile phone seizures that took place in each prison here in 2009 and to date in 2010; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2682/10]

Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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Section 36 of the Prisons Act, 2007, which was brought into operation on 1 May, 2007, makes it an offence for prisoners to have unauthorised possession of or use of mobile telecommunication devices. Under the Act it is also an offence to supply such a device to a prisoner. The penalties for such an offence, on summary conviction, include 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 five years or both. It is Irish Prison Service policy to report and hand over seizures of mobile phones to the Garda. 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. Details of mobile seizures are set out in the table below and 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 as a direct consequence of newly introduced security measures including a airport style scanners and x-ray machines, which are in operation at the entrances of all the relevant closed prisons. Details of mobile seizures for 2009 and figures to 17 January 2010 are set out in the following table:

Reporting systems for 2010 are currently being modified to differentiate between seizures within the prison and at point of entry to the prison.

Charles Flanagan (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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Question 182: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the number of prisoners convicted of possessing, using or supplying a mobile telecommunications device in prison in 2008 and 2009; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2683/10]

Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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Statistics in relation to court convictions is a matter for the Courts Service, which under the Courts Service Act, 1998 is independent in the performance of its functions. Section 36 of the Prisons Act 2007, which was brought into operation on 1 May 2007, makes it an offence for prisoners to have unauthorised possession of or use of mobile telecommunication devices. Under the Act it is also an offence to supply such a device to a prisoner. The penalties for such an offence, on summary conviction, include 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 five years or both. It is Irish Prison Service policy to report and hand over seizures of mobile phones to the Garda. As of 20 January 2010, there are 53 people serving sentences for this offence. 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.