Jonathan O'Brien (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein)
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Question 552: To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality if he has made requests to Governors of prisons to make provision for prisoners to practice their religious faiths as set out in section 35 of the Prisons Act 2007 including providing access to imams or rabbis or other clerics according to their religious faith, adhering to specific dietary rules, and provision of religious texts in prison; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10681/12]

Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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I can inform the Deputy that the then Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform in exercise of the powers conferred on him by Section 35 of the Prisons Act, 2007 made the Prison Rules, 2007 (S.I. No. 252 of 2007). These Rules came into operation on 1st October 2007.

Section 34 of the Rules covers the practice of religious, spiritual and moral life by prisoners, including access to spiritual and pastoral visits and access to religious books, and material. Section 23 of the Rules covers the provision of special dietary menus for religious, cultural and medical reasons.

The Rules apply in all prisons and places of detention under the auspices of the Irish Prison Service. I can assure the Deputy that Governors are very aware of the importance of religious practice in the life of prisoners and every effort is made to facilitate this to the fullest extent possible within the prison environment.