Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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127. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the mental health and substance abuse supports in the Dóchas women's prison; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21054/19]

Charles Flanagan (Laois, Fine Gael)
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I am advised by my officials in the Irish Prison Service that the supports provided to women in custody in the Dóchas Centre who are experiencing issues with substance abuse are in accordance with the Irish Prison Service Clinical Addiction Policy. The policy prescribes strategies which are based on best practice, and contemporary evidenced based approaches to supporting persons in custody.

Women in custody in the Dóchas Centre have access to a range of addiction supports, including detoxification, stabilisation, and the initiation or maintenance of Opiate Substitution Therapy (OST). In turn, the addiction supports provided are enhanced by access to ongoing specialist addiction counsellors as part of a co-ordinated multi-disciplinary team approach. Addiction services are co-ordinated and aligned with the individuals’ previous care in the community and post release planning in conjunction with community services is put in place prior to a persons release from custody.

The Irish Prison Service acknowledges that the provision of appropriate mental health services to those in custody is one of the major challenges to effective healthcare in prisons. In turn, there is some evidence of an increase in the numbers of persons committed to prison who are presenting with severe and enduring mental illness. However the level of mental health issues amongst female prisoners in Ireland is comparable to available international evidence.

I am advised that all prisoners are medically assessed on committal to prison; this includes a mental health assessment which can be employed to develop an individual care plan.

The Irish Prison Service has confirmed that in-reach mental health services are made available to persons in custody through its collaboration with the Health Service Executive, and the National Forensic Mental Health Service [NFMHS]. The mental health supports provided to female prisoners in the Dóchas Centre are managed by way of a multi-disciplinary approach in collaboration with the NFMHS. Prison staff, including General Practitioners, Nurses, Psychologists, and Counsellors are supported in the delivery of those supports to prisoners by a Consultant Psychiatrist, Senior Registrar, Community Psychiatric Nurse and a Mental Health Social Worker. Direct supports include psychosocial interventions, Dialectic Behavioural Therapy, Motivational Interviewing, medication therapies and supportive counselling.

The Irish Prison Service has access to a limited number of beds in the Central Mental Hospital (CMH) for prisoners suffering from a severe mental illness who require residential mental health treatment. A waiting list for the admission of prisoners to the CMH is operated by the NFMHS and is reviewed on a weekly basis. I understand that all prisoners on the waiting list have been clinically assessed by Consultant Forensic Psychiatrists from the NFMHS as requiring admission to the CMH which is a tertiary care facility.

The Healthcare Team in the Dóchas Centre collaborates with the Irish Prison Psychology Service to provide appropriate care for those in custody in the Dóchas Centre.

The Irish Prison Psychology Service in the Dóchas Centre provides therapeutic interventions, both in a group and on an individual basis, to support women in custody in relation to their mental health. This Service is provided as part of a multidisciplinary team which includes Addiction Counsellors, Psychiatry, the Probation Service and Primary Care clinicians.

Women in custody who engage with the Psychology Service present with a high level of complexity and service need. However, the needs of the person are identified through individual assessment, and appropriate interventions can then be provided.

The Psychology Service in Dóchas Centre has regular contact with community mental health agencies where appropriate, as well as the families and carers of those in custody. Where clinically appropriate, Irish Prison Service Psychologists may provide time-limited community intervention(s) to support the transition of clients from custody to community.