Barry Ward (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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189. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the average annual cost of housing a prisoner within the Irish prison system; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3794/25]

Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail)
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I am advised by my officials in the Irish Prison Service that the average annual cost of an available, staffed prison space during the calendar year 2023 was €88,523. The 2024 cost will be made available by the IPS as soon as is possible.

Barry Ward (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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191. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the number of incidents that have occurred in Irish prisons that have resulted in disciplinary action, per year since 2022, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3797/25]

Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail)
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I am advised by the Irish Prison Service that the number of incidents resulting in prisoner disciplinary sanctions for breach of prison discipline, by prison, for the period 2022 to end of January 2025 are outlined in Table 1 below.

A disciplinary system is in place under the Prisons Act 2007 which empowers Governors to deal with prisoners who have breached the Prison Rules and allows for the imposition of sanctions where a breach of the Rules has been proven to take place.

Such sanctions are normally in the form of loss of certain privileges, such as reduced phone calls, reduced visits, prohibition on the use of the gym, prohibition on use of the tuck shop etc, for defined periods of time. At the higher end of the scale, sanction can comprise a reduction in remission.

I can further advise the Deputy that disciplinary matters involving prison staff are covered by the same regulations as civil servants generally, ie the Civil Service Disciplinary Code.

Matters that may lead to disciplinary action under the Civil Service Disciplinary Code can include, for example - poor timekeeping, unsatisfactory attendance record, or unauthorised absences at the lower end, to theft, fraud, misappropriation of funds, assault on another person in the course of employment at the higher end. The disciplinary actions that can be taken are dependent on the nature and seriousness of the misconduct with possible sanctions ranging from a verbal warning to dismissal. I am advised that the vast majority of disciplinary matters progressed by the Irish Prison Service under the Civil Service Disciplinary Code are attendance-related.

Table 2 below outlines the number of staff disciplinary sanctions for the period 2022 to end of January 2025.

Table 1 - Prisoner Disciplinary Sanctions for Breach of Prison Discipline

Table 2 - IPS Staff - Disciplinary Action under the Civil Service Disciplinary Code

Barry Ward (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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192. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the number of prisoners in the Irish prison system that are subject to isolation restrictions for over 20 hours per day and for over 23 hours per day, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3798/25]

Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail)
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As the Deputy will be aware there are a number of reasons for the restriction of a person’s regime while in custody. This includes for safety or protection reasons, on the grounds of order and to protect the prison population from the spread of infection.

My Department has taken steps to bring the Irish prison system into line with the United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners (known as ‘Mandela Rules’) in respect of solitary confinement. This included the introduction of Statutory Instrument 276 of 2017 which amended Rule 27 of the Prison Rules 2007 and which provides for prisoners to be allowed to spend a minimum period of 2 hours out of his or her cell daily. This Statutory Instrument is implemented through the Irish Prison Service's Policy on the Elimination of Solitary Confinement, which is publicly available on their website.

As the Deputy will be aware there are a number of reasons why a person may be on a restricted regime, but this is not to say that in all instances where a person is on a restricted regime that they will be held in solitary confinement for 22+ hours a day. The Prison Rules 2007 also provide that the imposition of a restricted regime is closely monitored by the Irish Prison Service and the status of each prisoner on restricted regime within the prison system is regularly reviewed.

On occasion, it is necessary for prisoners to be separated from the general prison population. Under Rule 62 of the Prison Rules 2007, a Governor may decide, for the maintenance of good order in the prison, to remove a prisoner from general association or structured activity. The detention of a prisoner under this Rule must be reviewed by the Governor every 7 days. Where a prisoner is detained under Rule 62 for more than 21 days, the Governor must, on a weekly basis, submit a report to the Director General including the views of the prisoner, explaining the need for the continued removal of the prisoner from structured activity or association and requesting an extension on the prisoner’s detention under the Rule.

Rule 63 of the Prison Rules, 2007 provides that a prisoner may, either at his/her own request, or when the Governor considers it necessary, in so far as is practicable and subject to the maintenance and good order and safe and secure custody, be kept separate from other prisoners who are reasonably likely to cause significant harm to him/her. The number of prisoners on Rule 63 fluctuates daily and the length of time spent on Rule 63 varies greatly as the level of threat and perceived threat changes. Prisoners on Rule 63 may be permitted to mix with other prisoners on Rule 63 in different risk groups and therefore are not considered to be in ‘solitary confinement’. The Governor may also seek to place a prisoner on Rule 63 if information from An Garda Síochána, or other intelligence sources, indicate concerns about safety.

Further to this, a smaller number of prisoners may have their regimes restricted for medical (Rule 64) or for disciplinary reasons (Rule 67). Prisoners placed on a restricted regime for medical reasons are reviewed every 24 hours by the medical team and the Governor.

I can advise the Deputy that the Irish Prison Service has confirmed that statistics available regarding prisoners on a restricted regime are collated by the Irish Prison Service Statistics Unit and published on its website (). This information can be found in the Information Centre under Statistics & Information, Census Reports. The Tables complied as a result of the July 2024 census are available on the IPS website and included in this response, for ease of reference. I am advised that the January 2025 census is currently being finalised and will be published on the Irish Prison Service website in the coming weeks.