Lucinda Creighton (Dublin South East, Fine Gael)
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Question 292: To ask the Minister for Justice and Law Reform the number of reports and complaints relating to influenza, smallpox, swine flu and tuberculosis in all prisons here; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41707/10]

Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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I can inform the Deputy that in the last three years there were only three confirmed cases of Tuberculosis and only one of Swine Flu amongst the prisoner population. In relation to Smallpox, the World Health Organisation certified the eradication of this disease in 1979. This was endorsed by the World Health Assembly in 1980.

As the gathering of information on the number of influenza cases throughout the prison estate would require accessing each individual prisoner's medical record, the gathering of such information would require a disproportionate and inordinate amount of staff time and effort and could not be justified in current circumstances where there are other significant demands on resources.