Written answers

Tuesday, 8 May 2012

Department of Justice, Equality and Defence

Prisoner Transfers

9:00 pm

Photo of Bernard DurkanBernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 318: To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of applications by prisoners seeking transfer to alternative prison facilities on health, humanitarian or other grounds or criterion in each of the past three years to date; the methodology used to determine such eligibility; the number of cases approved or refused in this period; the most commonly used basis for approval or refusal; the number, if any, exceptions to the application of such criteria; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23023/12]

Photo of Bernard DurkanBernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 320: To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality if he will indicate the total number of prisoners known to have applied for transfer to alternative or open prisons on health grounds in each of the past two years to date; the number approved or refused for whatever reason in this period; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23025/12]

Photo of Alan ShatterAlan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 318 and 320 together.

Applications for transfer to an alternate facility within the prison estate on health, humanitarian or other grounds are received primarily on the recommendation of the Prison Governor or the therapeutic services in the prisons. The prisoner, their family or their legal representative can also apply for consideration of such a request.

As a guiding principle the Irish Prison Service attempts to place prisoners in the location nearest to their family home. This principle is of course subject to appropriate security considerations, operational and legislative requirements. Factors taken into account include length of sentence, nature of offence, medical needs, drug dependency, conflict with other prisoners, behaviour while in custody, the age of the prisoner, previous criminal record, engagement with the various services and of course available spaces.

Applications for transfer on health grounds are not recorded individually as there may be a multiplicity of reasons for such transfers, therefore it is not possible to provide the Deputy with the breakdown of information requested, as this would require the manual examination of records. Such an examination would require a disproportionate and inordinate amount of staff time and effort and cannot be justified in current circumstances where there are other significant demands on resources

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