Clare Daly (Dublin Fingal, Independent)
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104. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality her views regarding initiatives she has taken in relation to the possibility of converting some of the countries prisons to low security status, particularly for women prisoners, in view of the fact that the overwhelming majority of prisons are of closed medium security; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25051/16]

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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I am advised by the Irish Prison Service that it has made a commitment to explore the development of an open centre/open conditions for women assessed as low risk of re-offending. This commitment was acknowledged in the Report on the Strategic Review of Penal Policy which also recommended a greater focus on step down facilities, supported accommodation, the use of more community based open conditions for female offenders and the provision of an open centre for women.

The joint Probation Service/Irish Prison Service Women's Strategy 2014 - 2016, "An Effective Response to Women Who Offend" is ongoing and will be reviewed at the end of its term. The Women’s Strategy sets out how the Irish Prison Service and the Probation Service work together, as well as with other statutory, community and voluntary sector partners, to provide women-focused interventions to help reduce offending, improve opportunities for reintegration and to improve outcomes more generally.

As part of the Joint Strategy, a joint Irish Prison Service/Probation Service working group considered an open centre for women and decided to recommend step down facilities for women as a more practical and cost effective way to address the deficit rather than developing an open centre for women. In this regard, I have given approval to the Heads of the Irish Prison Service and Probation Service to proceed to scope the possibilities for the development of a step down unit in Dublin.

There are 14 institutions in the Irish prison system consisting of: Portlaoise, which is the maximum security prison in the state; 10 traditional 'closed' prisons; 2 open centres; and 1 semi-open centre. These prisons are suitable for the prison service's needs at present. There are no plans to convert some of the country's prisons to low security status. I can advise the Deputy in regard to the female accommodation within the prison estate that planning is well under way for the modernisation and expansion of facilities in Limerick Prison. Part of this redevelopment includes the provision of high quality prison accommodation for female prisoners with a capacity of approximately 50 individual cells and 8 transition units, which will more than double its current capacity.

Alternatives to custody continue to be pursued and legislation has already been passed. The Criminal Justice (Community Service) (Amendment) Act 2011 requires the sentencing judge to consider the imposition of community service where a custodial sentence of 12 months or less is being considered.