Written answers
Tuesday, 26 March 2019
Department of Justice and Equality
Prison Facilities
Marc MacSharry (Sligo-Leitrim, Fianna Fail)
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482. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the number of tuck shops in operation across the 12 prisons in the Irish Prison Service; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13010/19]
Marc MacSharry (Sligo-Leitrim, Fianna Fail)
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483. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the turnover, profit and loss of each tuck shop operated across all 12 prisons; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13011/19]
Marc MacSharry (Sligo-Leitrim, Fianna Fail)
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484. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality if each tuck shop in the Irish Prison Service is audited with the benefit of stocktaking on an annual basis; if so, the person or body that audits same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13012/19]
Marc MacSharry (Sligo-Leitrim, Fianna Fail)
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485. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality if the products stocked and sold in the tuck shops in the 12 prisons in the Irish Prison Service are sold at recommended retail prices; if there is subsidisation of the products being sold; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13013/19]
Charles Flanagan (Laois, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 482 to 485, inclusive, together.
My officials in the Irish Prison Service have informed me that 11 prison locations operate tuck shop accounts with the Dóchas Centre included in the account for Mountjoy Prison.
The accounting information for the 11 prison locations is shown in the following table for 2017, which are the last audited figures.
| Prison Location | Total 2017 Sales | Total 2017 Gross Profit |
|---|---|---|
| Arbour Hill | 152,783 | 24,055 |
| Castlerea | 531,769 | 117,091 |
| Cloverhill | 654,664 | 76,343 |
| Cork | 449,096 | 88,106 |
| Limerick | 447,012 | 94,441 |
| Loughan House | 96,404 | 9,968 |
| Midlands | 1,279,707 | 186,842 |
| Mountjoy (incl. Dochas) | 1,161,856 | 161,812 |
| Portlaoise | 477,119 | 27,236 |
| Shelton Abbey | 73,987 | 12,308 |
| Wheatfield | 695,738 | 102,543 |
| Total | 6,020,135 | 900,745 |
The profits arising from sales in the prison Shops are transferred to the Prisoner Assist Programme to fund projects for the benefit of the prisoners, in a planned and co-ordinated way.
The operating and governance arrangements for the tuck shops are included in Irish Prison Service procedure ACC.005.001 (Tuck Shop Account Procedures) issued in April 2014; this procedure is in the following link for information purposes. Stock control and stocktaking arrangements are included in this procedure.
Tuck shops are subject to reviews of compliance with procedures by the Irish Prison Service Finance & Estates Directorate and are included in audits of prisons undertaken by the Internal Audit Unit of my Department and by the Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General, both of whom audit two to three prisons each year.
It is Irish Prison Service policy that products are sold in the tuck shops at Recommended Retail Price as advised by the contracted supplier.
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