Clare Daly (Dublin Fingal, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

98. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality her plans in relation to the development of social enterprises across the criminal justice system in view of the established success of such enterprises throughout Europe in securing employment for ex-prisoners and reducing recidivism. [3871/17]

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I wish to inform the Deputy that my Department has put in place arrangements to progress the development of social enterprises in the criminal justice sector, recognising the potential value of social enterprises to add value to prison-based and probation activities and to provide an additional form of training, work integration and rehabilitation for ex-offenders.

The concept of social enterprise is to explore possible pathways towards increased employment opportunities for ex-offenders, A workshop hosted by the Probation Service on 5 February 2016, identified the potential to create employment opportunities for ex-offenders through the creation of social enterprises. It also considered what structure was needed to be put in place to exploit such opportunities.

It was agreed at the workshop that a draft Terms of Reference would be prepared for the development and implementation of a strategy to increase employment for ex-offenders through social enterprises and other initiatives and in addition, a Steering Group would be established to oversee the work needed to develop and implement the strategy.

The Steering Group, which is comprised of 6 members at present - three from the Department of Justice and Equality and three from the Social Enterprise and business sector - has been established and has met quarterly, with secretarial support provided by the Care and Rehabilitation Directorate of the Irish Prison Service. Their primary goal is to develop a strategy (and a plan to implement the strategy) to increase employment opportunities for ex-offenders through social enterprise and other related initiatives.

A Project Manager, based at the Probation Service head office, has been appointed to drive the work, reporting to the Steering Group on the implementation of the agreed actions including:

- Assess the current activities and outputs of prisons and identify products and services that could have sustained market potential

- Identify and secure seed funding and the ongoing financial supports needed to sustain any identified social enterprise activities

- Explore the inclusion of social clauses in appropriate public contracts awarded by the Criminal Justice Sector requiring private companies to provide employment to a number of ex-offenders

- Promote the employment of ex-offenders by community-based organisations part-funded by the Criminal Justice Sector

- Further develop employment placement services for ex-offenders with employers

- To pilot the establishment of a farm shop at Loughan House and to consider establishing a Dublin outlet shop in a suitable location

- To pilot a Prison Entrepreneurship Programme in an Irish prison.

I officially opened a social enterprise initiative at Loughan House Open Centre, County Cavan in July 2016, the Loughan House farm shop. This shop is operated by a group of prisoners currently based there under the guidance and oversight of prison management. I am informed by the Irish Prison Service that this pilot initiative has been very successful to date with the active engagement by those in custody there and support from the general public.