Clare Daly (Dublin Fingal, Independent)
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289. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the most recent available figures for prisoners on protection in each prison; and the daily average for 2017. [37332/18]

Charles Flanagan (Laois, Fine Gael)
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The statistics concerning prisoners on restricted regimes are collated by the Irish Prison Service Statistics Unit.

The quarterly reports are available on the website of the Irish Prison Service (), in the Information Centre – under Statistics & Information – Census Reports. As the information is compiled on a quarterly basis, data in relation to daily averages is not available.

By way of background, the restriction of a prisoner's regime can occur due to a number of factors, including the protection of vulnerable prisoners, which is provided for under Rule 63 of the Prison Rules 2007. A prisoner may, either at his/her own request or when the Governor considers it necessary, in so far as is practicable and subject to the maintenance and good order and safe and secure custody, be kept separate from other prisoners who are reasonably likely to cause significant harm to him/her.

Under Rule 62 of the Prison Rules 2007 a Governor may decide, for the maintenance of good order in the prison, to remove a prisoner from general association or structured activity to reduce the negative effect that a prisoner or prisoners may have on the general population. In addition a smaller number of prisoners may have their regimes restricted for medical (Rule 64) or discipline reasons (Rule 67).

The Prison Rules 2007 provide that the imposition of a restricted regime is closely monitored by the Irish Prison Service and the status of each prisoner on restricted regime within the prison system is regularly reviewed.