James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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Question 58: To ask the Minister for Justice and Law Reform the number of convicted sex offenders presently serving a prison sentence; the location in which the sentence is being served; the treatment programmes for sex offenders presently operating within the prison system and their location; the qualifications and the numbers of persons employed in the provision of such programmes and the number of prisoners presently participating in such programmes. [42833/10]

Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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Question 154: To ask the Minister for Justice and Law Reform the number of convicted sex offenders presently serving a prison sentence; the location in which the sentence is being served; the treatment programmes for sex offenders presently operating within the prison system and their location; the qualifications and the numbers of persons employed in the provision of such programmes and the number of prisoners presently participating in such programmes. [43088/10]

Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 58 and 154 together.

On 11 November 2010 there were 320 persons in custody with current convictions for sexual offences, located as outlined in the table below.

The treatment of sex offenders is centred in Arbour Hill Prison where sex offenders undertake the Building Better Lives (BBL) programme. The programme comprises group interventions in three modules and allows responsive and flexible delivery of rehabilitation services which take account of individual risk, needs and capacity.

The BBL programme commenced in January 2009, replacing the Sex Offender Programme, which was initiated in 1994 and concluded in 2008. The programme allows more responsive and flexible delivery of rehabilitation services to a greater number of offenders. The interventions take greater account of individual risk, needs and capacity, with priority given increasingly to higher risk offenders. Of the 78 offenders who have participated in the programme since January 2009, 58 are classified as medium to high risk category.

The programme is provided by a team of psychologists, including clinical and counselling psychologists, who have developed specific expertise in clinical practice including assessment and therapeutic work with men convicted of sexual offences. There are currently 21 psychologists employed by the Irish Prison Service, five of whom are assigned to Arbour Hill.

In Arbour Hill and other prisons, sex offenders also participate in other group programmes which while not specifically designed for sex offenders are aimed at addressing their needs, including stress management, anger management and cognitive skills training, as well as interventions by visiting psychiatrists. Not all sex offenders are suited to group programmes therefore other prison-based therapeutic interventions including one-to-one interventions are available.

Of the 320 sex offenders in custody on 11 November 2010, 92 have been or are engaged with the Irish Prison Service Psychology Service in relation to their sexual offending. At the end of October 2010, 24 prisoners were participating in the Building Better Lives programme and another 30 were engaged with the Psychology Service in work related to their offending behaviour. In the context of participation in this programme, priority is given to higher risk offenders with prisoners transferring into Arbour Hill for intervention purposes.

I would also like to advise that the Probation Service engages with sex offenders in individual work throughout the course of their sentence. This work primarily focuses on reducing the risk posed by the individual following release and also on child protection issues which may arise. Therapeutic interventions post release are made available through the joint delivery with the Granada Institute of the community-based Lighthouse Programmes in Dublin and Cork.