Pádraig O'Sullivan (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail)
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269. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the number of prisoners per annum in Cork Prison from 2020 to 2024, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43801/24]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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I can advise the Deputy that the information requested is contained in the table below.

*An individual can be committed on more than one occasion in the given year.

I can further advise the Deputy that detailed statistical information can also be found on the Irish Prison Service website www.irishprisons.ie.

Pádraig O'Sullivan (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail)
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270. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the number of violent assaults on prison officers from 2020 to 2024; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43802/24]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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Any act of violence against a prison officer is unacceptable. Any criminal act carried out within our prisons, including assaults or threats on a staff member, are reported to An Gardaí Síochána for investigation and prosecution. Staff who are subject to an assault or threat in our prisons are given the necessary supports through the employee assistance programme.

Section 19 of the Criminal Justice (Public Order) Act 1994 as amended specifically provides for assaults or threats to peace officers including prison officers acting in the execution of their duty. Any person who assaults or threatens to assault a peace officer in the execution of their duty is guilty of an offence and is liable on summary conviction to a fine or a term of imprisonment not exceeding 12 months or both or on convictions on indictment to a fine or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 12 years or both. I increased the maximum penalty available for assaulting a peace officer, from 7 years to 12 years in the Criminal Justice (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2023 which came into effect on 1st November 2023.

I wish to advise the Deputy that the information requested is contained in the table below.

*Figures for assaults on prison staff are currently not available for 2024 as these require validation at years end. These figures will be published on the Irish Prison Service’s website in early 2025.