Duncan Smith (Dublin Fingal, Labour)
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1398. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality if she will report on the Covid-19 compliance and welfare of prisoners in the prison system during the Covid-19 pandemic; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40814/21]

Hildegarde Naughton (Galway West, Fine Gael)
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The Deputy will be aware that the Irish Prison Service has put in place an extensive range of measures to prevent Covid-19 transmission within prisons, to detect early any possible infection in a prisoner or staff member and prevent the spread of infection should there be a confirmed case.

I am advised by the Irish Prison Service that as of 25 July, 2021 there have been 164 positive cases of Covid-19 identified amongst the prisoner population since March 2020, with the first case in September 2020. Of the 164 confirmed prisoner cases 72 were community acquired infections and 92 were prison based.

The measures which were introduced  to prevent the spread of Covid-19 in prisons are guided by the advice of the National Public Health Emergency Team and are consistent with the prison specific guidance for the management of Covid-19 issued by the World Health Organisation and the guidance of the Council of Europe.

There is a Primary Healthcare service available at each prison consisting of doctors and nurses who are responsible for the management of healthcare issues, including the treatment of Covid-19.

To date, all positive Covid-19 cases in the prisoner population have been managed in the relevant prison and there has been no requirement to transfer any prisoner to hospital. If however, the prison healthcare service consider that a prisoner requires hospital treatment they would refer the prisoner to the relevant hospital, alerting in advance that they are sending a Covid-19 patient. The prisoner in question would be transferred to the hospital via an ambulance.

The Irish Prison Service has further advised that it provides a range of therapeutic, support and counselling services to prisoners. These services have remained in place throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.

The restrictions imposed by COVID-19 required the development of new ways of working to support prisoners. All prisoner support services have adapted their working arrangements to respond innovatively to maximise opportunities for prisoner engagement by employing a combination of mediums including telephony, video-link and one-to-one contact where deemed clinically necessary.

The vaccination programme is currently being rolled out across the prison estate with an overwhelming majority of prisoners availing of the vaccine.

Throughout the public health crisis, every attempt has and continues to be made, to maintain psychological, addiction and other counselling services for those with an identified need. All prisons and prison-based services have displayed flexibility and adaptability and have used all mediums available to engage with the prison population.

I wish to assure the Deputy that the Irish Prison Service continues to manage the risks and challenges faced in a prison context during the Covid-19 pandemic in line with public health guidelines. In doing so, it maintains a close working relationship with my Department, relevant criminal justice authorities, the National Public Health Emergency Team and the HSE.