Patrick Costello (Dublin South Central, Green Party)
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536. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the status of the unpublished Dóchas prison reports by the Inspector of Prisons; when such reports will be published; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26135/23]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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The Office of the Inspector of Prisons (OIP) was established under the Prisons Act 2007 and is independent in how it carries out its functions. The Inspector's role is to carry out regular inspections of prisons.

The OIP has submitted a number of reports relating to Mountjoy Women’s Prison (Dóchas Centre) which have not yet been published.

The Inspector of Prisons' three day monitoring report of the Dóchas Centre was received in my office in August 2020. The Inspector was requested to carry out an investigation into matters arising in the Dóchas Centre, under section 31(2) of the Prisons Act and this investigation report was submitted in February 2022. It was always intended that these reports would be reviewed for publication together but, based on legal advice received by the Department from the Office of the Attorney General, it is not proposed to publish either of those reports at this time.

In addition, a supplementary report requested by the Minister in relation to matters arising from the section 31(2) investigation was received in July 2022.

Consideration of these reports is ongoing and I am therefore not in a position to publish them or comment further on their contents at this time.