Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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163. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the extent to which specific procedures are in place to ensure that first-time prisoners are given priority for education and rehabilitative training, with particular reference to reducing the influence on them of more hardened criminals; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29999/18]

Charles Flanagan (Laois, Fine Gael)
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I am advised by the Irish Prison Service that it provides a wide range of rehabilitative programmes to those in custody that include education, vocational training, healthcare, psychiatric, psychological, counselling, welfare and spiritual services. These programmes can offer purposeful activity to those in custody while serving their sentences and encouraging them to lead law-abiding lives on release. These programmes are available in all prisons, and all prisoners are eligible to use the services.