Jonathan O'Brien (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein)
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290. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the number of beds allocated to the Irish Prison Service in the Central Mental Hospital in Dundrum; the number of beds that will be allocated to the Irish Prison Service in the new national forensic hospital in Portrane; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32277/17]

Charles Flanagan (Laois, Fine Gael)
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I am advised by the Irish Prison Service that persons in custody who currently require residential mental health treatment can be admitted to the Central Mental Hospital following assessment by the National Forensic Mental Health Service on the basis of assessed clinical need. This will also apply in regard to the admission of any person in custody to the services of the National Forensic Mental Health Services in the new facility in Portrane, which will have an increased capacity.

The Irish Prison Service has confirmed that it has access to a limited number of places in the Central Mental Hospital for prisoners who require residential mental health treatment. The waiting list for admission is managed by the National Forensic Mental Health Service on the basis of assessed clinical need.

Jonathan O'Brien (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein)
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291. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the number of recorded self harm incidents per prison in 2016. [32278/17]

Charles Flanagan (Laois, Fine Gael)
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I am advised by the Irish Prison Service that it does not currently hold data on the number of recorded self harm incidents in the form requested.

However, the Irish Prison Service has also advised that it has put a process in place whereby every incident of self harm is being examined by a multi-disciplinary team. Data on self harm is now being collated by way of a newly developed system for the recording of incidents of self harm. This data will be used for the purposes of informing IPS policy and procedures which are designed to minimise the incidence of self harm and suicide in the prison population.