Jonathan O'Brien (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein)
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Question 567: To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality if seat belts are routinely provided to prisoners during transfers; and the safety measures in place to ensure prisoner safety during transport. [34858/12]

Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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While seat belts are provided in passenger vehicles operated by the Irish Prison Service, they are not provided in cellular vehicles for operational and security reasons. This is to minimise the access of prisoners to materials which could be used to cause harm to themselves or others.

The Irish Prison Service have a number of safety measures in place to ensure prisoner safety during transport which are :-

· The prisoner is handcuffed in a way that helps prevent an injury

during slight jolts

· Soft head rests are provided

· The design of vehicle cell is plastic resin with no sharp edges to help

prevent injury

· There is a footwell that is designed to prevent leg injury.