Clare Daly (Dublin North, United Left)
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130. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality if she is satisfied there are sufficient resources in the prison service to cater for the mental health needs of the prison population; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24237/15]

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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I am advised by the Irish Prison Service that it works in partnership with the Health Service Executive and the National Forensic Mental Health Services to ensure the appropriate provision of Psychiatric services to those in custody with mental health needs in all closed prisons.

The Irish Prison Service has confirmed that In-Reach mental health services are available in all Dublin prisons, the Portlaoise Campus, and Castlerea Prison through collaboration with the National Forensic Mental Health Services.

There are currently eight Consultant Forensic Psychiatrists leading this service. This is supported by Non Consultant Hospital Doctors, 13 Community Psychiatric Nurses, and 2 Social Workers.

Specialist In-Reach services in collaboration with the HSE are in place in Cork Prison for consultant led mental health sessions to provide appropriate services to prisoners in that prison.

A Consultant Adult Psychiatrist, with a special interest in Forensic Psychiatry, who was appointed on a permanent basis to the HSE Mid West in January 2015, is providing an In-Reach service to Limerick prison on a sessional basis.

The Irish Prison Service has also confirmed that it has access to a limited number of places in the Central Mental Hospital for prisoners who require residential mental health treatment.

The Irish Prison Service has established two dedicated areas, in Cloverhill Prison for remand prisoners, and the High Support Unit in Mountjoy Prison for sentenced prisoners, where high support is provided to vulnerable prisoners with mental illness. The High Support Units have managed vulnerable and mentally ill prisoners in a more effective and humanitarian environment, and this has resulted in greater access to care and regular reviews by the prison In-Reach team.

A Psychiatric In-reach and Court Liaison Service is delivered by the HSE at Cloverhill Prison. This diversion system ensures, insofar as possible, that people presenting before the courts, or indeed at an earlier stage of the criminal justice system, 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.

I have also been advised that the Irish Prison Service provides training to staff on mental health issues, including suicide awareness training by way of programmes such as STOP4, training on Seclusion Policy, and Critical Incident Stress Management. It is currently implementing a service wide programme of mental health awareness training for prison staff.

Prisoners have access to the Samaritans and the Listeners scheme. There are also a number of In-Reach groups that provide information and support in the area of mental health to prisoners.

The McMorrow Commission's Final Report on its investigation into the death of Gary Douch contained a number of key findings relating to the management, medical treatment, and psychiatric care of prisoners. The Irish Prison Service has developed, and is implementing a comprehensive Action Plan for the implementation of the Commission's recommendations which are relevant to the Irish Prison Service.

The Irish Prison Service is also directly involved in the Interdepartmental Group on people with mental illness and the criminal justice system chaired by my Department. This Group is examining issues relating to people with mental illness which arise from their interaction with the criminal justice system. This Group also includes representatives of the Department of Health, Health Service Executive, National Forensic Mental Health Service, An Garda Síochána, and the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions.