Jonathan O'Brien (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein)
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Question 542: To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality the resources allocated to the Cloverhill Mental Health Prison Inreach and Court Liaison Service; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34833/12]

Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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The Prison Inreach and Liaison Service has been delivered by the Health Service Executive at Cloverhill Prison since 2006. The service ensures as far as possible that those people presenting before the courts where the infraction is a reflection of an underlying mental illness are referred and treated appropriately.

This approach has reduced the number of mentally ill people committed to prison. The number of diversions from prison to Community Mental Health Services has grown from 41 in 2006 to 132 in 2011. The service at Cloverhill Prison is provided by the National Forensic Mental Health Service (NFMHS) which includes 1 Consultant Forensic Psychiatrist, 1 Senior Registrar, 1 Registrar, and 3 Community Psychiatric Nurses supported by the healthcare team in Cloverhill Prison. The NFMHS team attend Cloverhill Prison daily. NFMHS staff also attend court to present reports on patients on whom they have conducted detailed assessments.