Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail)
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250. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the number of persons in custody that are electronically monitored while on temporary release in each of the years 2013 to 2016 and to date in 2017; the number of days each person was on release while electronically monitored; the cost per prisoner per day; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51078/17]

Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail)
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251. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the cost of providing electronic tagging for an additional 500 prisoners per annum; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51079/17]

Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail)
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252. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the cost of providing electronic tagging for an additional 1,000 prisoners per annum; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51080/17]

Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail)
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253. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the cost of providing electronic tagging for an additional 1,500 prisoners per annum; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51081/17]

Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail)
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254. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the cost of providing electronic tagging for an additional 2,000 prisoners per annum; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51082/17]

Charles Flanagan (Laois, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 250 to 254, inclusive, together.

I am to advise the Deputy that Part 10 of the Criminal Justice Act 2006 provides for the introduction of electronic monitoring.

Following a competitive tender in 2014, a company was awarded the contract for the supply of electronic monitoring of prisoners for the Irish Prison Service.

I am advised by The Irish Prison Service that electronic monitoring is used to monitor some prisoners who have been granted Temporary Release including for the purpose of the Community Return/Support Scheme. The system is also used to monitor some hospital in-patients who have been granted temporary release from Prison. It thus allows for a significant reduction in staffing costs for hospital escorts.

The current service provider allows for the provision of up to 50 electronic tags to the Irish Prison Service. As of Sunday 26th November 2017 there have been 113 prisoners electronically monitored while on temporary release since March 2013. This figure includes 7 cases who are currently being monitored. The total cost of this service to the Irish Prison Service to date is €529,527. The contract requires a minimum usage of 20 tags.

I am advised by The Irish Prison Service that the average cost per prisoner is impacted upon by the total number of days per year that prisoners are electronic monitored. The table below provides the information as requested by the Deputy in PQ 51078/17.

The current contract provides for a maximum of 50 tags. Therefore it is not possible to provide the Deputy with the information requested in respect of the cost of providing additional monitoring for 500, 1,000, 1,500 and 2,000 prisoners as this would be outside the current contract parameters.