Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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355. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality when she plans to publish the three-day monitoring report on operations in the Dóchas centre submitted to her office in August 2020; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35758/21]

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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356. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the status of the investigation report under section 31(2) of the Prisons Act 2007 that was due to be submitted to her by the Office of the Prison Inspectorate in December 2020; if she has received this report yet; if so, when it will be published; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35759/21]

Hildegarde Naughton (Galway West, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 355 and 356 together.

As the Deputy will be aware, the Office of the Inspector of Prisons is a statutory body, independent in its work, set up under the Prisons Act 2007.

The section 31(2) report referred to by the Deputy has not yet been furnished to me by the Inspector of Prisons. However, the Inspector continues to engage with my officials regarding the progress made on the finalisation of the report and work is ongoing in that regard.

Publication of the monitoring report referred to, which has been received by my Department, is held pending completion of the section 31(2) report.

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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357. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the number of Covid-19 thematic reports received by her office from the Inspector of Prisons; the date she received them; if she intends plans to publish them; if so, when; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35760/21]

Hildegarde Naughton (Galway West, Fine Gael)
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As the Deputy will be aware, the Office of the Inspector of Prisons is a statutory body, independent in its work, set up under the Prisons Act 2007.

The Inspector's key role is to carry out regular inspections of prisons. The Office is required to inspect the twelve prisons in Ireland to examine the treatment and conditions of prisoners and staff.

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, and the need to monitor the situation within prisons for prisoners and staff, the Inspector has suspended her 2021 general inspection programme and has instead embarked on a COVID-19 focused inspection schedule, designed to provide a human rights-based assessment of the response of the Irish Prison Service to the pandemic.

I can confirm that to date I have received a copy of the COVID-19 thematic reports from Mountjoy, Cloverhill, Limerick and Wheatfield Prisons which I plan to bring to the attention of Government and publish in the coming weeks.

Copies of the thematic reports in respect of the other prisons across the estate will also be published in due course following their receipt.