Clare Daly (Dublin North, United Left)
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130. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality the steps that have been taken in relation to the standard operating procedures, and governors' or chiefs' orders, operating in the Irish Prison Service, following on from the reports into prison deaths commissioned by the Inspector of Prisons in June 2014; and the deficits outlined in the same. [39840/15]

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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The Office of the Inspector of Prisons is a statutory independent office established under the Prisons Act, 2007.

Since 1 January, 2012, the death of any prisoner in custody or on temporary release is the subject of an independent investigation by the Inspector of Prisons. All death in custody reports are published on my Department’s website. Furthermore, in September 2014 I published the Inspector’s Omnibus Report of investigations onto the deaths of prisoners - 1st January 2012 to 11th June 2014.

I take the findings of these reports extremely seriously, as does the Director General of the Irish Prison Service. I am on record as stating that the death of any person in State custody must be thoroughly examined and I expect that the Irish Prison Service and indeed all the statutory agencies involved, will work hard to address the findings and recommendations in the Inspector’s reports.

The Inspector’s investigations and reports are part of a three pronged process - the other aspects being the investigations by An Garda Síochána and the investigations and Inquests conducted by the Coroners. I am satisfied that this process ensures that Ireland is in compliance with its national and international obligations and meets the strict criteria laid down by the European Court of Human Rights when interpreting the procedural requirements of Article 2 of the European Convention on Human Rights.

The Irish Prison Service is making arrangements for a full evaluation of all healthcare protocols and procedures in order to ensure full compliance. Means of developing and communicating all Standard Operating Procedures to ensure a greater level of awareness and standardisation throughout the prison estate are also being examined.

In addition, the circumstances of each death in custody are subject to an internal review process by the suicide prevention group for the prison institution concerned. This group is chaired by the respective prison Governors, and includes representatives from all the services across the prison estate, including medical, psychology, chaplaincy, probation, education, and prison staff. The internal review fully covers the background and circumstances of each death in custody, and its objective is to identify any possible measures which may be implemented which can contribute to a reduced risk of deaths in custody in future.

The Internal Review Reports are considered by the National Suicide and Harm Prevention Steering Group, which is chaired by the Director General of the Irish Prison Service. The Steering Group then ensures that the relevant findings of those reports are disseminated throughout the prison system.