Clare Daly (Dublin North, United Left)
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123. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality the solution available to persons whose telephone calls with their legal teams were recorded while they were in prison. [33612/15]

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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I wish to advise the Deputy that as highlighted by the Irish Prison Service in April 2014, a small number of prisoners whilst in custody had their legal phone calls inadvertently recorded. All necessary steps have been taken to avoid a repeat of this situation reoccurring by way of the introduction of some technical measures. This included the provision of three additional designated solicitor phone lines in addition to the existing standard solicitor line. This allows prisoners to list more than one solicitor to the phone system.

In addition where the relationship to the prisoner is stated as "solicitor" that contact number cannot be entered onto a phone line where recordings take place.

I can also advise the Deputy that in April 2014 all prisoners in custody effected by the situation were advised of the anomaly with the phone system by written correspondence along with the effected solicitors in the cases. Copies of the recordings were offered to the effected solicitors. All parties involved were advised that no recordings were forwarded to any organisation or third party.

In April 2014 the Inspector of Prisons Judge Michael Reilly, was asked by the then Minister for Justice and Equality to carry out an independent investigation into all the circumstances surrounding the recording of telephone conversations between prisoners and their solictors.The Inspector's investigation is currently underway and his report will be presented to me on completion.