Patrick Costello (Dublin South Central, Green Party)
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595. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the number of persons on protection in the Irish Prison Service since 2015 to date broken down, by prison and by ethnicity [11654/22]

Patrick Costello (Dublin South Central, Green Party)
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596. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the number of persons who asked to be placed on protection in the Irish Prison Service since 2015 to date, by prison and by ethnicity. [11655/22]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 595 and 596 together.

I wish to advise the Deputy that prisoner safety is paramount to the Irish Prison Service and under Rule 63 of the Prison Rules 2007, a prisoner may, either at his/her own request or when the Governor considers it necessary, in so far as is practicable and subject to the maintenance and good order and safe and secure custody, be kept separate from other prisoners who are reasonably likely to cause significant harm to him/her.

Further, under Rule 62 of the Prison Rules, the Governor may decide for the maintenance of good order in the prison, to remove a prisoner from general association or structured activity to reduce the negative effect that that prisoner may have on the general population.

The Irish Prison Service record and publish the number of persons on protection on a quarterly basis, this information is available on the Irish Prison Service website www.irishprisons.ie, under Information Centre – Statistics & Information – Census Reports.

The Irish Prison Service does not record protection prisoners by ethnicity.

Patrick Costello (Dublin South Central, Green Party)
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597. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality when the last prison census was taken; and when the next one is due to take place. [11656/22]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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I can advise the Deputy that the Irish Prison Service publishes daily prisoner population counts and information is available via the following web link -  

www.irishprisons.ie/information-centre/statistics-information/2015-daily-prisoner-population/

In addition, it also completes regular censuses of Prison population and Cell occupancy, including a Census of Restricted Regime Prisoners - a link to which can be found here - 

www.irishprisons.ie/information-centre/statistics-information/census-reports/

I am advised by my officials in the Irish Prison Service that the Census of Restricted Regime Prisoners was last conducted on 18 January 2022. The next census is due to take place on 19April 2022.

Patrick Costello (Dublin South Central, Green Party)
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598. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the number of overtime hours provided to the Irish Prison Service, broken down by prison. for the period of 2015 to 2021 and to date in 2021; and the dates on which they were fully allocated. [11657/22]

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 and I will send it to the Deputy directly when it has been compiled.

Patrick Costello (Dublin South Central, Green Party)
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599. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the number of days educational programmes were prevented from happening due to staff shortages in the Irish Prison Service since 2015 to date, by prison institution. [11658/22]

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 and I will send it to the Deputy directly when it has been compiled.

Patrick Costello (Dublin South Central, Green Party)
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600. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the number of days prison workshops, such as woodwork and metalwork, were closed since 2015 to date, by prison institution; and the reason for closure. [11659/22]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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I am advised by the Irish Prison Service that it provides a wide range of rehabilitative programmes to those in custody that include education, vocational training, healthcare, psychiatric, psychological, counselling, welfare and spiritual services.

These programmes are available in all prisons and all prisoners are eligible to use the services.

The guiding principles which underpin the prisons' work and training service are to make available work, work-training and other purposeful activities to all those in custody. There are over 120 workshops and service activities across the prison estate with a current work station capacity of 1,376. Training activities are chosen to give as much variety as possible and also to give opportunities for those in prison to acquire practical skills which will help them secure employment on release.

The Work and Training Service has an authorised staffing allocation of 378 Work and Training Officers who are assigned to areas such as catering, laundry, industrial cleaning, industrial skills and gym.

The manner in which records are collated does not allow the Prison Service to provide statistics on the number of days the workshops were closed and the reasons for such closures.

Statistics are not maintained on the number of days workshops were closed since 2015.  Closures could be due to measures including staff shortages, infection control and other reasons.

Such statistics could only be compiled by the examination of training and workshops in each prison which would involve the commitment of a disproportionate amount of staff time impacting adversely on the work of the prisons. Statistics are available for the percentage of closed hours for 2020 and up to November 2021 and are outlined in the table below.

Closures in Prison Workshops - percentage of closed hours for 2020 and 2021.