Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Social Democrats)
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157. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the ways in which the Bangkok Rules are being upheld in Ireland’s women’s prisons in relation to the agreement that prison for women should, as closely as possible, resemble their homes as there is currently no communal dining, no privacy due to overcrowding and very limited access to their children; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [62047/21]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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I wish to reassure the Deputy that the accommodation of women prisoners in the Irish Prison Service is operated in full compliance with the Bangkok Rules passed at the United Nations in 2010.

The ethos upon which Irish Prisons are operated is that women prisoners should live together in a community style setting with no categorisation of female prisoners and a regime very much focused on training and rehabilitation.

My officials in the Irish Prison Service report that communal dining is available to women prisoners in certain areas in Limerick Prison but that prisoners are permitted to dine in by themselves or with their cell mate. In the Dóchas Centre the women are accommodated in houses rather than cell blocks and most prefer not to dine communally.

Overcrowding is not currently an issue for women in either the Dochas Centre or Limerick Prison. The following table provides both the number in custody and the bed capacity for both the Dochas Centre and Limerick Female Prison as at 14 December 2021.

Privacy is afforded to all prisoners for various activities, where appropriate, including phone calls and contact with their children. All women prisoners have access to video calls, care workers, solicitors and key workers.

The Prison Service is acutely aware of the importance of assisting prisoners to maintain close contact with their children while in custody. The Deputy will be aware that in order to protect the prison population from the risk of Covid-19, a number of infection control measures were introduced throughout 2020 and 2021. Regrettably, this included the suspension of physical visits to prisoners for extended periods of time. The Prison Service introduced a new video visit system to ensure that prisoners could continue to have visual contact with their families throughout this time.

Limerick Prison has a Tusla approved and award winning visitors area and the Prison Service work closely with care workers, the courts and Tusla to provide access visits where appropriate.

Finally, it may interest the Deputy to know that the construction of a new prison facility to provide accommodation for 50 female prisoners in Limerick Prison is advanced and is scheduled to become operational in the third quarter of 2022. The design of the facility is based on the principle of rehabilitation and normalisation recognising the unique requirements of female offenders.

Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Social Democrats)
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158. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the offence profile of sentenced prisoners in the Dóchas Centre and Limerick female prison for each month over the past three years, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [62048/21]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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It has not been possible to obtain the information requested by the Deputy in the time permitted. Relevant information has been sought which I will send to the Deputy directly when it has been compiled.

Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Social Democrats)
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159. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the offence profile of remand prisoners in the Dóchas Centre and Limerick female prison for each month over the past three years, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [62049/21]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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It has not been possible to obtain the information requested by the Deputy in the time permitted. Relevant information has been sought which I will send it to the Deputy directly when it has been compiled.

Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Social Democrats)
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160. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the length of time being spent on remand by remand prisoners in the Dóchas Centre and Limerick female prison for each month over the past three years, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [62050/21]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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It has not been possible to obtain the information requested by the Deputy in the time permitted. Relevant information has been sought which I will send it to the Deputy directly when it has been compiled.

Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Social Democrats)
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161. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the number of prisoners under sentence in the Dóchas Centre and Limerick female prison who self-identified as being from the Traveller community, for each month over the past three years, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [62051/21]

Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Social Democrats)
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162. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the number of remand prisoners in the Dóchas Centre and Limerick female prison who self-identified as being from the Traveller community, for each month over the past three years, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [62052/21]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 161 and 162 together.

It has not been possible to obtain the information requested by the Deputy in the time permitted. Relevant information has been sought and I will send it to the Deputy directly when it has been compiled.

Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Social Democrats)
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163. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the number of remand prisoners and prisoners under sentence in the Dóchas Centre and Limerick female prison who are primary caregivers to children, for each month over the past three years, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [62053/21]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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I am advised by my officials in the Irish Prison Service that the information sought by the Deputy regarding the number of remand prisoners and prisoners under sentence in the Dochas Centre and Limerick female prison who are primary caregivers to children is not recorded by the Irish Prison Service.

I can however advise the Deputy that the Irish Prison Service introduced a new feature to the Prisoner Information Management System (PIMS) in June 2018 to record family details, including number of children and number of children under 18, on the basis of self-declared information.

The table below provides details of prisoners in the Dochas Centre and Limerick Female Prison who declared, on committal, that they have children, as at 14 December 2021.

Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Social Democrats)
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164. 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 and the investigation report under section 31(2) of the Prisons Act 2007; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [62054/21]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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The Office of the Inspector of Prisons is a statutory body, independent in how it carries out its work, set up under the Prisons Act 2007. The Inspector's key role is to carry out regular inspections of prisons.

The Inspector has been asked to carry out an investigation into matters arising in the Dóchas Centre, under section 31(2) of the Prisons Act. The Inspector has indicated that she is currently finalising this investigation and I expect to receive it in the coming weeks.

I can further advise the Deputy that the Inspector of Prisons three day monitoring report of Mountjoy Women’s Prison (Dóchas Centre) was received in my office in August 2020 and it is my intention to consider both of these reports and their publication together in due course.