Maureen O'Sullivan (Dublin Central, Independent)
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249. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality if she is satisfied that there are adequate levels of trained medical staff in our prisons; and the extent to which agency nursing is used in our prisons. [19653/15]

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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I am advised by the Director General of the Irish Prison Service that there are adequate levels of trained medical staff in all our prisons, notwithstanding the fact that the recruitment of medical staff to permanent positions continues to be very challenging in the current climate. Each prison has a number of nurses, and each prison is attended by a prison doctor. Doctors ordinarily attend prisons on week days, and provide on call medical cover outside of normal working hours. In addition, nursing cover is provided on a 24 hour basis in all closed prisons. I can confirm that on the 15th of May there were seven agency nurses assigned to the Irish Prison Service.

Where vacancies arise in prison medical posts, or where a post holder is absent from work, the Irish Prison Service arranges the assignment of a locum doctor to provide medical services under the provisions of its contract agreement with a locum agency provider. Similarly, where nursing vacancies arise, the Irish Prison Service secures the services of agency nurses under the provisions of its contract agreement with a nurse agency provider.

The Irish Prison Service recognises that, notwithstanding the fact that locum doctors and agency nurses provide essential and necessary support, the engagement of agency medical staff is generally less cost effective than employing permanent medical staff. In this regard, the Irish Prison Service keeps the staffing levels in medical posts under constant review.

I am pleased to say that the Irish Prison Service recently received sanction for the recruitment of 20 prison nurses. It is expected that a competition to recruit these nurses will be advertised in the near future, and the recruitment of additional nurses will have the effect of reducing the level at which agency nursing staff are being engaged at present.

The Irish Prison Service has confirmed that it will continue to provide an appropriate level of medical and nursing resources to deliver healthcare services in each prison, subject to available resources and competing priorities.