Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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The Irish Prison Service provides a wide range of rehabilitative programmes to those in custody. These programmes include education, vocational training, healthcare, psychiatric, psychological, counselling, welfare and spiritual services. These programmes are available in all prisons and all people in custody are eligible to use these services.

The average monthly school attendance in Castlerea Prison for 2023 ranged from 18% - 29% of the prison population. The school was closed due to staff shortages for 36 days in the period January 2023 to August 2023. School closures are also impacted by the overall increase in numbers resulting in a significant increase in the use of Castlerea Prison staff to escort people for court appearances and/or hospital appointments.

Castlerea Prison has recently reviewed and amended its Regime Management Plan (RMP) in order to address the issue of school closures and this has resulted in fewer closures since September 2023.

In order to minimise impact on services, the Prison Service is committed to strengthening the numbers of staff assigned to the Prison Service Escort Corps to limit the burden on prison based staff being reassigned to escorting duties. Increased funding was made available in Q4 of 2022 and, under Budget 2023, a €6.5m additional staffing package was secured for the Prison Service to provide for additional staff recruitment to support rehabilitation and training. This will support both improvements in opening hours and access to prisoner services including education services.

To date in 2023, the Irish Prison Service have recruited 183 Recruit Prison Officers (RPO), a further class of RPOs are due to be recruited by year end and it is expected that 300 prison officers will be recruited in 2024. Additional hours have also been provided to prisons pending staff recruitment to maximise service delivery. The requirement to support prisons remains under review each quarter to allow for improvements in opening hours and access to services including education services.