Ann Graves (Dublin Fingal East, Sinn Fein)
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1116. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality if he will ensure that the funding for the role of community prison links worker with an organisation (details supplied) remains in place in order that the job vacancy can be filled as soon as possible; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11236/25]

Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail)
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Community prison link (CPL) workers generally work on a one-to-one basis with offenders, providing a range of support services to those awaiting sentence, in prison, on remand, and post-release.

My Department acts only as a conduit for prison-link projects and I am advised that they are in fact funded chiefly by the Department of Health, with the exception of one community prison links worker funded by the Probation Service via the project referred to by the Deputy, which is a small, community-based organisation providing services to ex-prisoners living in the local area.

My Department has no direct role in monitoring the projects, dealing with funding requests, or looking at any of their day-to-day activities.

In 2024, the Probation Service grant funding to the body in question amounted to €50,000. Further funding was provided for Q1 of 2025.

I am informed by the Probation Service that the CPL worker position has been vacant since the summer of 2024, and that it is not proposing to allocate additional funding to this body for 2025. I understand that the Probation Service has recently met with the organisation to discuss the issue, and is currently considering representations made by the organisation.