Pa Daly (Kerry, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

165. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality if he is aware of the Chief Inspector of Prisons Annual Report for 2023, specifically the poor staff-prison dynamics and overly punitive sanctions at the Dóchas Centre, leading to a substantial adverse effect on the day-to-day life of the women prisoners there; the steps he is taking to address this; to outline when the report of the investigation into the Dóchas Centre will be published, as commissioned under section 31.2 of the Prisons Act 2007; the reason for the delay in publication; to outline when the supplementary report will be published; the reason for the delay in its publication; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24602/25]

Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The Office of the Inspector of Prisons (OIP) was established under the Prisons Act 2007 and is independent in how it carries out its functions. The Inspector's role is to carry out regular inspections of prisons. As part of this work the Office of the Inspector of Prisons carries out inspections comprising General Inspections and Thematic Inspections (i.e. inspections of a specific operational area across the whole prison estate). In addition, all deaths in custody and deaths that occur within one month of temporary release, are subject to an independent investigation by the Inspector of Prisons. The Inspector's three day monitoring report of the Dóchas Centre was published by the Minister in January 2024. The Inspector was asked to carry out an investigation into matters arising in the Dóchas Centre under section 31(2) of the Prisons Act and this investigation report was submitted in February 2022. In addition, a supplementary report was requested in relation to matters arising from the section 31(2) investigation and was received in July 2022. I would like to advise the Deputy that it is intended that these two reports be reviewed for publication together. It is not yet possible to publish or comment further on their content at this time as these reports are the subject of legal consideration.

The Inspector of Prisons submitted a general inspection report on the Dóchas Centre arising from an unannounced inspection carried out over a number of days in September and October 2023 earlier this year. The findings and recommendations are currently being reviewed by my officials and officials in the Irish Prison Service. It is my intention to arrange for the publication of this report, along with responses to the recommendations, as soon as is practicable.