David Cullinane (Waterford, Sinn Fein)
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884. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the estimated cost to provide an additional staff grade psychologist in a prison. [41774/21]

David Cullinane (Waterford, Sinn Fein)
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885. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the estimated cost to provide at least one staff grade psychologist in every prison. [41775/21]

David Cullinane (Waterford, Sinn Fein)
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886. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the estimated cost to run recruitment campaigns to fill all existing psychologist vacancies in prisons. [41776/21]

Hildegarde Naughton (Galway West, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 884 to 886, inclusive, together.

As the Deputy will be aware, the role of the Psychology Service in the Irish Prison Service is to deliver, develop and manage an integrated (mental health and criminogenic need) assessment and treatment service for people in custody. This is done in line with service plans and objectives and within established professional standards, guidelines and policy. I am informed that the Irish Prison Service employs a number of Psychologist grades, including;

- Head of Psychological Services,

- Principal Psychologist Manager,

- Senior Psychologists (Grade I),

- Staff Grade Psychologists (Grade II) and

- Assistant Psychologists.

Assistant Psychologists are an unqualified grade, employed on a one year fixed term contract basis only and are not included in client to Psychologist ratios.

The information sought by the Deputy in respect of the estimated cost of providing an additional Staff Grade Psychologist to a prison is provided in Table 1 -

Table 1-Payscale of Staff Grade Psychologist appointed after 6 April 1995

Payscales as at 1 October 2020

The estimated cost of providing at least one Staff Grade Psychologist in every prison is provided in Table 2 -

Table 2- Cost of providing at least one Staff Grade Psychologist in each prison (12 in total)

The figures provided are per annum and are based on the incremental payscale provided in Table 1.

The estimated cost to administer recruitment campaigns to fill Psychologist vacancies varies from campaign to campaign, influenced by factors such as grade of vacancy, advertising cost and interview related expenses.