Patrick Costello (Dublin South Central, Green Party)
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116. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality if female prisoners are now provided with period packs following the Inspector of Prisons 2021 Limerick report that this was not the case contrary to the February 2021 Period Poverty in Ireland report; and the number of packs distributed to prisoners in 2022 in both Limerick and Dóchas. [5230/22]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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I can advise the Deputy that while the Inspector of Prisons Thematic Inspection Report for Limerick Prison did not state that sanitary products were not available for women in prison, it did record some negative experiences by some women in relation to the range of products available in Limerick Prison.

I am advised by the Irish Prison Service that a range of period products are available for the women in Limerick Prison and a monthly provision is provided, on request, from a dedicated female prison officer in the prison reception. I can assure the Deputy that all prisoners in Limerick have access to sufficient supply of these and other products such as toiletries.

I am informed that the procedures for the distribution of period pack to prisoners in the Dóchas Centre have been changed and each woman is now provided with a monthly pack, which can be requested through the prison Red Cross Volunteer Group rather than a staff member.

I am further informed that the average number of women in custody between the Dóchas Centre and the Female wing of Limerick Prison in 2021 was 144 and the average monthly distribution of period packs was 226 between both locations. The figures for January 2022 have not yet been collated but will be forwarded to the Deputy as soon as they are available.

Patrick Costello (Dublin South Central, Green Party)
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117. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the status of the implementation of recommendation 12 of the Covid-19 thematic inspection of Limerick Prison which recommended affording greater privacy to women when contacting their children and family members on the phone. [5232/22]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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I wish to advise the Deputy that privacy is afforded to all prisoners in all prisons for various activities, where appropriate, including the placing of phone calls to family and friends and contact with their children. In addition, there are family rooms available for physical visits in all prison and video phones are available in private areas that are readily available to facilitate these calls.

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

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 and into 2022. Regrettably, this included the suspension of physical visits to prisoners for extended periods of time.  However, the Service introduced a new video visit system to ensure that prisoners could continue to have visual contact with their families throughout this time.

In addition, in order to enhance contact with families the Service introduced phones into cells in newer prisons where technically feasible. Owing to the success of this initiative the Service has commenced a project to install telephones into all cells across the prison estate.  In-cell phones have been introduced in Castlerea, Cork, Cloverhill and Limerick Prison not including the female wing.  The practice currently available in the female wing in Limerick Prison is a telephone is provided in each cell and a line is made available to prisoners on request to facilitate phone calls in the privacy of their cells.

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 new accommodation will contain a telephone in each cell and the design of the facility is based on the principle of rehabilitation and normalisation recognising the unique requirements of female offenders. 

In-cell phones are currently being installed in Midlands Prison and the next phase of this project will see in-cell telephones installed in Wheatfield and Portlaoise Prisons and a procurement process is currently in place to facilitate this process.

The provision of in-cell telephones facilitates outbound calls by prisoners from their cells.

Patrick Costello (Dublin South Central, Green Party)
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118. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the details of LGBT+ awareness training curriculum and materials provided to staff of the Irish Prison Service; the regularity with which such training is delivered; and the number of staff that have undergone this training with specific reference to the prison service policy and training in interacting with transgender prisoners. [5233/22]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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I am advised by the Irish Prison Service that LGBT+ awareness training is provided to Recruit Prison Officers and also forms part of the continuous professional development of staff. 

Training is provided by the Prison Service College, by way of awareness-raising from a holistic equality, diversity and inclusion perspective.

The table below provides details of the training to Recruit Prison Officers. 

Since recruitment in the Irish Prison Service recommenced in 2017, approximately 700 recruit prison officers have received this training, including 144 in 2021.

In addition, during early 2021 the Irish Prison Service College worked with the Transgender Equality Network Ireland (TENI) to explore the challenges faced by transgender prisoners while in custody and how the organisation can address these challenges.

In April 2021 information on appropriate language when interacting with transgender persons was made available to all staff on the Prison Service intranet portal PRISM. The material was highlighted as a feature on a number of occasions during 2021, including during LGBTIQ+ Pride Month in June 2021. This and other material relevant to the LGBTIQ+ community, staff and prisoners, will be made available during 2022.

The Irish Prison Service is drafting a transgender polity which will recognise and address the emerging needs of prisoners in relation to sexual orientation, gender identity and the distinct and intersectional grounds of gender expression and sex characteristics.  The Service is also committed to designing and delivering more bespoke training on these matters in the coming months.

Thomas Gould (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein)
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119. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the number of prison cells still slopping out by prison in tabular form. [5234/22]

Thomas Gould (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein)
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120. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the year in which slopping out was stopped by prison in tabular form. [5235/22]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 119 and 120 together.

The information requested by the Deputy is provided in the table below.

The Irish Prison Service committed in its strategic plan to the elimination of the practice referred colloquially as ‘slopping out’, through the provision of in cell sanitation in the older parts of the prison estate where that practice remains.

A number of major capital projects have been undertaken over the years with the primary objective of eliminating ‘slopping out’ as well as upgrading the cellular accommodation in those prisons.

A major refurbishment of Mountjoy Prison was completed in 2014 which included the provision of in cell sanitation and upgrade of the cellular accommodation. In 2016 a new purpose designed modern prison opened in Cork replacing the old prison facility. Similarly a major construction project is currently nearing completion at Limerick Prison which will provide a new accommodation block for male and female prisoners, along with relevant rehabilitation and support facilities and will end the practice of slopping out at Limerick Prison. I understand that ‘slopping out’ in Limerick should cease in early Q3 2022. However, this timeframe assumes no further impact by Covid on supply chain or construction staff

Exploratory engineering surveys have been undertaken at E block, Portlaoise Prison to explore the options of providing in-cell sanitation along with other work to upgrade the cellular accommodation having regard to the age and fabric of the building.

I can advise the Deputy that a contract has been awarded for the construction of a sample cell at E block. The outcome of this project and future operational requirements will help inform further action in this regard.

E block traditionally has a low level of occupancy as the majority of prisoners at Portlaoise are detained in the modern C block which has in cell sanitation.