Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (Donegal North East, Sinn Fein)
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700. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality if he will confirm the revenues and profits generated by the tuck shop at Mountjoy Prison, Dublin, in 2011 and 2012 and the ten most popular items apart from cigarettes sold at the shop in 2012 and quantities in each case. [26914/13]

Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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As the Deputy is aware there is a tuck shop in operation in each of the prisons which are operated and staffed by the Irish Prison Service. Profits generated from prisoner purchases in the tuck shop are used to support prisoners through the Prisoner Assist Programme Fund.

The cumulative total of monthly revenues and gross profits generated by the tuck shop at Mountjoy Prison for the years in question are as follows:

At the end of each month, gross profits are transferred to the Prisoner Assist Programme Fund to facilitate hardship payments to prisoners. In addition, initiatives such as the Red Cross Programme and the Community Return Programme are also part funded from the profits.

It is not possible to provide the ten most popular items sold in the shop and the quantities in each case as this detail is not recorded. The new accounting system which is used to manage prisoner funds (PAMS) is currently being reviewed and future developments may facilitate the reporting on sales.