Maureen O'Sullivan (Dublin Central, Independent)
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Question 419: To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality the specific time frame to bring prison conditions in line with international standards with particular regard to the issues of overcrowding, slopping out, violence and the lack of effective complaints and monitoring mechanisms. [31210/11]

Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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The Deputy may wish to note my response to an earlier Question on the implementation of recommendations relating to prison conditions made by the Inspector of Prisons.

I receive regular updates on the implementation of the Inspector's recommendations. The Inspector himself recognised that in certain areas prisons will not be able to comply with all the recommendations in the short term. As long as there is overcrowding and limitations on resources there will be difficulties in achieving full implementation.

However progress is being made. To give examples, issues raised by the Inspector regarding the general cleanliness of prisons including the need for broken fittings to be replaced are being addressed by the Governors of each institution. A programme for painting and cleaning is in place in each prison and those programmes are sufficient to meet the needs of that prison.

Areas mentioned by the Inspector include the use of special cells, prisoners' complaints and the procedure to be followed following deaths of persons in custody. New procedures have been adopted and will be supported by changes to the Prison Rules which have been drafted. These are being finalised in conjunction with the Office of the Attorney General.

The Inspector also referred to minimum standards for prison accommodation and the regimes and services that should be provided. The Government, as you know, is committed to the elimination of slopping out in prisons. The upgrade of more than 100 cells at Mountjoy Prison, including the installation of in-cell sanitation, will be completed by the end of this month. The Irish Prison Service will then consider the feasibility of installing in-cell sanitation in the remaining cells of Mountjoy and to other facilities elsewhere. The completion of the Midlands Prison extension and the provision of 70 extra dormitory style spaces in the Dóchas Centre will mean that 80% of the prisons estate will have in-cell sanitation by mid 2012.

The Inspector also recommended the creation of dedicated committal areas and vulnerable persons units in each closed prison. The Irish Prison Service is looking at all options available to implement these recommendations where they are not already in place.

In relation to the Inspector's recommendation that drug free units be established in each closed prison to accommodate drug free prisoners, I can advise that Arbour Hill, St. Patrick's Institution, the Training Unit and Wheatfield Prison already have drug free wing/landings or areas within their prisons. A drug free unit in Mountjoy Prison will become operational before the end of the year. The template developed for the operation of this unit should have application across many of the closed prisons where the development of a drug free unit is warranted. To this end, the Healthcare Directorate, working in conjunction with prison management, is looking at the options for the development of drug free areas in closed prisons.