Written answers
Monday, 11 September 2023
Department of Justice and Equality
Probation and Welfare Service
Patrick Costello (Dublin South Central, Green Party)
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1157. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the number of probation officers currently working in each prison in the State; and the number of current vacancies and the number of probation officers, by institution, over the period from 2005 to date. [38309/23]
Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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The Probation Service is an executive agency of the Department of Justice with the primary purpose of assessment and management of offenders in the community and is committed to working to reduce offending, create safer communities and fewer victims through rehabilitation. The Service has a presence in every prison nationwide, working as part of multi-disciplinary teams supporting reintegration. Probation staff conduct assessments and undertake offence-focused, pre-release and reintegration work with people who will be subject to court-mandated supervision orders upon their release from custody.
The below table outlines the number of probation officers working in prisons in the State for 2009-2023. The Probation Service does not have specific staffing figures for the prisons region for the period 2005-2008. In addition to the Probation Officers listed in the table below, as of July 2023 there is also one Assistant Principal Probation Officer, seven Senior Probation Officers and five administrative staff allocated to the prisons – thirteen staff in total.
As of 1 September 2023, there are six Probation Officer vacancies across the prison region: one in Mountjoy Male, two in Wheatfield/Cloverhill and three in the Midlands. Three new staff are due to commence shortly which will reduce the vacancies to three. There are also two administrative vacancies one in Cork & Limerick and one in Midlands & Portlaoise.
Number of Probation Officers (Full Time Equivalents) Prison & Risk Resettlement at end of Each Year 2009 to July 2023
Year | Mountjoy Male & Training Unit | Mountjoy Female | Wheatfield Cloverhill | Arbour Hill & Shelton Abbey | Castlerea Loughan Harristown Kazelain | Cork Limerick | Midlands & Portlaoise | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | 7 | 3.5 | 6 | 3 | 3.8 | 4 | 3.8 | 31.1 |
| 2010 | 6 | 4.5 | 6 | 3 | 2.8 | 4 | 4 | 30.3 |
| 2011 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 25 |
Year | Mountjoy Male | Mountjoy Female (Dochas) & Shelton Abbey | Wheatfield Cloverhill | Arbour Hill & Sex Offender Programme* | Castlerea Loughan | Cork Limerick | Midlands & Portlaoise | Total |
| 2012 | 6 | 6.8 | 5.1 | 4.5 | 2 | 2.5 | 4.8 | 31.7 |
| 2013 | 6 | 4.8 | 5 | 5.5 | 2.6 | 2 | 4.8 | 30.7 |
| 2014 | 7 | 4.8 | 7 | 3.5 | 2.6 | 2 | 5.2 | 32.1 |
| 2015 | 7 | 4.8 | 7.4 | 3.5 | 3.6 | 2 | 7.2 | 35.5 |
| 2016 | 5 | 4.8 | 4.6 | 3.5 | 2.6 | 2 | 5.2 | 27.7 |
| 2017 | 5.8 | 5.8 | 7.8 | 4.5 | 2 | 2 | 6.2 | 34.1 |
| 2018 | 3.8 | 4 | 3.8 | 1.5 | 2 | 2 | 5.2 | 22.3 |
| Year | Mountjoy Male | Mountjoy Female (Dochas) & Shelton Abbey | Wheatfield Cloverhill | Arbour Hill | Castlerea Loughan | Cork Limerick | Midlands & Portlaoise | Total |
| 2019 | 3.8 | 4 | 2.8 | 2.5 | 1 | 3 | 6.2 | 23.3 |
| 2020 | 4.8 | 4 | 2.8 | 2.5 | 2 | 3 | 6.2 | 25.3 |
| 2021 | 3.8 | 4 | 3.8 | 1.5 | 3 | 3 | 5.2 | 24.3 |
| 2022 | 3.6 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 3.5 | 5.2 | 24.3 |
| 2023 (July) | 3.6 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 4.2 | 22.8 |
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