Clare Daly (Dublin Fingal, Independent)
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81. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality when the position of Inspector of Prisons will be filled; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [5293/17]

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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Judge Michael Reilly died suddenly on 26 November 2016 leaving the office of Inspector of Prisons vacant. The Inspector of Prisons is a statutory position governed by Part 5 of the Prisons Act 2007. Under that Act, I as Minister may appoint a person to be Inspector and the terms and conditions of the office are to be determined by me with the consent of the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform. Arrangements are underway to facilitate the selection process for the position.

In the interim, the work of the Office of the Inspector of Prisons continues to be carried out by the appointed staff to the office. Although the most senior officer assigned to that office, a Principal Officer, does not have the statutory powers of an Inspector of Prisons, all in the prison system are being instructed to cooperate with her and she remains independent of the Department and the Irish Prison Service as far as investigations are concerned and the content of any report produced. Further, she has been authorised to complete any outstanding reports and submit them to me on a non-statutory basis and it is my intention to publish them in the normal way.