Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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The Irish Prison Psychology Service provides an integrated service to people in custody. Specifically, this means the Psychology Service is responsible for both mental health and criminogenic (offence related) assessment and interventions. Irish Prison Service Psychologists are qualified mental health practitioners and the largest body of mental health professionals employed directly by the Irish Prison Service.

The Psychology Service works primarily through a layered care model, providing primary, secondary and tertiary level mental health care to people in custody. A layered care model provides clients with access to a variety of responses, from minimal interventions such as whole population approaches with the Red Cross and primary care mental health interventions, to more specialist mental health and personality disorder treatments. A layered care model is slightly different to a stepped care model in that it recognises that many people require a variety of interventions at different intensities to meet their needs and enables clinicians and clients to construct their own individual treatment package.

Referrals include: mood and anxiety disorders; neurotic and stress related disorders; disorders of personality and behaviour; Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) including complex PTSD; self-harm and suicidal behaviour; substance use; eating disorders; psychosis and schizophrenia; addiction; dementias; cognitive decline traumatic brain injuries; impulse disorders, and disorders of sexual preference. In addition, the Service works with people presenting with intellectual disorders and difficulties, disorders of psychological development, for example, Autistic Spectrum Disorders (ASD), and behavioural and emotional disorders with onset in childhood e.g. attention deficit (e.g. ADHD, conduct disorders, attachment disorders).

I am advised by the Irish Prison Service that in January 2024 there were 1,804 people in custody on the waiting list for psychology services.

The Prison Service also collaborate with the National Forensic Mental Health Service (NFMHS) to ensure the appropriate provision of psychiatric services to those in custody with a psychiatric diagnosis such as schizophrenia, psychosis and major mood disorder in all closed prisons.

The NFMHS has advised that its caseload is circa 350 patients who are ordinarily in the custody of the Prison Service, approximately 7% of the total prison population.

A waiting list for the admission of prisoners to the CMH is operated by the NFMHS and is reviewed on a weekly basis. Over the last three years, the number of prisoners on the waiting list has varied between 15-25 patients. It should be noted that all prisoners placed by NFMHS consultants on the waiting list have been clinically assessed as warranting admission to the CMH, which is a tertiary care facility.

I can also advise the Deputy that Budget 2023 provided additional dedicated funding of €970K to increase the number of psychologists employed by the Irish Prison Service. This has led to new psychology posts being identified from the funding provided, including 1 WTE Principal Specialist Psychologist, 2 WTE Senior Psychologists and 7.4 WTE Staff Grade Psychologists.

A competition was held in September 2023 and a panel is in place with assignments now been made. The WTE Principal Specialist Psychologist role remains vacant, but has been filled by an Acting up post by way of an Expression of Interest. The 2 WTE Senior Psychologists and 4.4 WTE Staff Grade Psychologist posts have been filled.

Budget 2024 provides an additional circa €27 million for the Irish Prisons Service. This includes approximately €9m in staffing to provide for increased pay roll costs, recruitment of staff, and for 65,000 additional hours to deal with current pressures.

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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The Irish Prison Service provides a health care service for prisoners with addictions in a structured, safe and professional way in line with international best practice. The Irish Prison Service continues to be committed to, and involved with, the National Drugs Strategy in partnership with community colleagues and organisations.

It is the policy of the Irish Prison Service that, where a person committed to prison gives a history of opiate use and tests positive for opioids, they are offered a medically assisted, symptomatic detoxification, if clinically indicated.

Patients can, as part of the assessment process, discuss other treatment options with healthcare staff and those treatment options may include stabilisation on methadone maintenance for those who wish to continue on maintenance while in prison, and when they return to the community on release.

The Irish Prison Service engages Merchants Quay Ireland (MQI) to provide a prison-based addiction counselling service across the entire Irish Prison Service estate (with the exception of Arbour Hill Prison where there is currently no clinical need for such a service, though this will be reviewed on an ongoing basis). The addiction counselling service includes structured assessments and evidence-based counselling interventions, with clearly-defined treatment plans and goals.

The MQI service provides a range of counselling and intervention skills related to substance misuse and dependency. These skills include motivational interviewing and enhancement therapy, a twelve step facilitation programme, cognitive behavioural therapy and harm reduction approaches. Prisoners are offered one to one counselling and group work interventions.

The Irish Prison Service and MQI prioritise those that are in greatest clinical need, and work together as part of a multi-disciplinary team to manage the waiting list. MQI team leaders review caseloads with each addiction counsellor monthly to ensure that cases are closing appropriately.

There are many local variables unique to each prison which can influence how long a prisoner could remain on the waiting list to see an addiction counsellor. These factors include access to the prisoner, if they are on remand, their expected date of release, where in the prison they reside (e.g. are they on protection or non-protection), and the prisoners individual work schedule.

To manage these unique prison by prison variables, MQI are working on bespoke options. For example, in Cloverhill Prison, MQI in conjunction with the IPS, are preparing to pilot a new triage model. This triage model aims to direct the prisoner, following assessment, to the most appropriate follow up e.g. one-to-one on site counselling, one-to-one counselling utilising online systems, or onsite group support. This will be implemented before the end of this year, and will run for an initial six-month period, followed by an evaluation. MQI also provides a full time phone line in the prison estate to provide more immediate support and reduce pressure on waiting lists.

It will also be of interest to the Deputy to know that the Prison Service published a new “Drug Strategy 2023 – 2026” in November 2023. This strategy re-affirms the Prison Service’s commitment to working steadfastly to reduce the harm of drug use within the prison population. This strategy sets out practical goals to increase support for security measures to prevent access, education and information programmes to deter trafficking, and promote drug treatment and counselling services in collaboration with government and non-government partners to help tackle the insidious threat posed by illegal drug use and trafficking.

In addition, the Irish Prison Service is developing a bespoke, peer-led recovery model to support people in custody who face addiction difficulties. Part of this peer led recovery model will provide for co-occurring difficulties associated with mental health and addiction.

The information requested by the Deputy in respect of the number of prisoners on waiting list to access addiction services as at 22^ndJanuary 2024 is provided in the table below.

Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Social Democrats)
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292. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the number of remand prisoners sharing cells with sentenced prisoners, by prison; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3478/24]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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I have requested the information sought by the Deputy from the Irish Prison Service. Unfortunately, it has not been possible to collate the information requested in the time allowed. I will write to the Deputy directly when the information is to hand.

Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Social Democrats)
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293. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the steps taken by her Department and the Irish Prison Service to fully screen toilets in multi-occupancy prison cells; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3479/24]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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The Deputy will be aware that the Irish Prison Service provides a range of accommodation across the prison estate. This includes traditional cellular accommodation in closed male prisons, including a mix of single, double, triple and multi-occupancy cells. In addition, dormitory and bedroom style accommodation is provided in open/semi open male prisons and bedroom and/or apartment style accommodation is provided in female prisons.

All traditional prison cells across the prison estate, with the exception of the Portlaoise Prison E-Block, now include in-cell sanitation. This includes the provision of a toilet and wash hand basin and can include a modesty screen to protect the privacy of the cell user and maintain an appropriate line of sight for staff who must be able to monitor the prisoner at all times for security and safety reasons.

I can advise the Deputy that fully enclosed en-suite toilet facilities are provided in male accommodation located at Loughan House and Shelton Abbey and for prisoners accommodated in the Training Unit and for those accommodated in the houses in the Grove semi-open prison accommodation at Castlerea Prison.

It is not possible to introduce fully partitioned toilet facilities in traditional closed prison cells as to do so would negatively impact on the availability of living space within the cell. This could lead to the requirement to reduce the capacity of a large number of cells across the prison estate, which is not possible due to the current numbers in custody and current committal trends.

The introduction of a fully partitioned toilet in such cells would also impact on the ability of prison staff to monitor the cell occupant at all times which could impact on the safety and security of cell occupants.

I can advise the Deputy that, in an effort to enhance to privacy for cell occupants, while using toilet facilities, the Irish Prison Service is finalising arrangements for the installation of a new modesty curtain in multi-occupancy cells in Wheatfield Prison. This pilot project, which will be implemented in Q1 this year, will test the suitability of this new privacy curtain and will inform the best method of installation taking account of health and safety requirements.

The pilot project aims to provide greater privacy to the cell user while maintaining the safety and security of the cell occupants. The pilot will be reviewed in Q3 2024 and, if successful, will be rolled out to other cells in the second half of 2024.

Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Social Democrats)
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294. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the number of prison cells that do not have fully screened toilets in single and multi-occupancy prison cells; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3480/24]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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I have requested the information sought by the Deputy from the Irish Prison Service. Unfortunately, it has not been possible to collate the information requested in the time allowed. I will write to the Deputy directly when the information is to hand.