Charles Flanagan (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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Question 238: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the cost of prison to court escorts in each of the years 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009 and to date in 2010; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16359/10]

Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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I am informed by the Director General of the Irish Prison Service that precise details of the cost of prisoner escorts for the purposes of court appearances are not readily available. Due to the volume of escorts which took place over the periods in question, including court escorts, inter prison transfers, hospital escorts, etc., it would not be possible to calculate the costs requested without an inordinate amount of manual checking of records by the Irish Prison Service.

In late 2005, the Prison Service Escorts Corps (PSEC) was established on an independent basis within the Irish Prison Service to provide a prisoner escorting service. Provided below are the costs of running PSEC, including payroll, in each of the years requested. These figures include the costs of court escorts, but also include the cost of escorts carried out for other reasons. It should be noted that in instances where PSEC do not have the resources to carry out particular escorts, resources, including staff, will be provided by the relevant prison at its own cost and these costs are not included.

The relatively low figure for 2006 reflects the gradual growth in PSEC escort activity throughout its first year of operation. Figures to-date for 2010 are not yet available.