Niall Collins (Limerick, Fianna Fail)
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Question 595: To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality if he will outline the steps that have been taken to strengthen security in the Prison service in view of a number of incidents over the past year that has seen prisoners escape; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36426/12]

Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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I published the Report into the escape by a prisoner from Loughan House on the 28th March 2012. As I stated then, the decision to send this prisoner to Loughan House was wrong, and I instructed the Director General of the Irish Prison Service to take all the necessary steps to ensure that a mistake of this nature does not reoccur. I have been informed by the Director General that measures have been taken to provide additional oversight in the decision making processes in order to ensure that such a decision cannot be made in the future.

The aims and objectives of open centres are to provide a place of detention aimed at the rehabilitation of offenders. Open Centres have a regime that includes education, training and work, which encourages a sense of personal responsibility and self respect, in order to assist prisoners leading law-abiding lives on their return to the community. The profile of open centres generally includes, either low risk offenders who are serving short sentences for minor offences, offenders who have engaged constructively with the therapeutic services and have a good disciplinary record, or offenders nearing the end of longer sentences whose transfers have been approved as part of a sentence management programme. Based on the profile of open centre prisoners, they operate with reduced staffing levels and minimal security. I am satisfied that the security arrangements in place are satisfactory.

The recent incident which occurred in Castlerea Prison where two prisoners escaped from the Grove area is being investigated by An Garda Síochána. A separate investigation is also being conducted by the Irish Prison Service into the circumstances of the escape. The Grove is an area of semi-open house type accommodation within the perimeter wall of Castlerea Prison. The Irish Prison Service Security Compliance Group has met in relation to this incident and a full review of CCTV, Lighting and monitoring of the Grove is being carried out as a matter of urgency.