Conor Sheehan (Limerick City, Labour)
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275. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the number of drugs overdoses in the prison system, broken down by prison, between 2020 and 2025 to date, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54121/25]

Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail)
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I would like to assure the Deputy, that preventing access to contraband into prisons continues to be a high priority for the Irish Prison Service.

It is estimated that up to 70% of the people in custody have addiction issues and the reality is that some of those with active addiction issues may continue their drug-seeking behaviour inside prison, notwithstanding the supports that are available to address their addiction.

The Irish Prison Service provides a health care service for people with addiction issues in a structured, safe and professional way and in line with international best practice. The Irish Prison Service continues to be committed to, and involved with, the National Drugs Strategy.

The Irish Prison Service is always alert to the dangers posed by illicit substances within the prison environment and, as well as using technological, structural, intelligence and more routine operational methods to prevent contraband entering prisons, also engages in awareness campaigns directed at those in custody.

This includes direct clinical engagement with healthcare personnel, the use of the peer to peer Irish Red Cross Community Based Health & First Aid Programmes, the use of the internal TV channel, signage and direct cell drop leaflet campaigns.

In addition to this, the Irish Prison Service in partnership with the HSE and the Irish Red Cross launched a life-saving initiative to combat opioid overdoses among prisoners in August of 2023. This joint initiative focused on raising awareness among prisoners, as well as their family members and friends, about the risk factors leading to opioid overdoses. Central to this initiative is the promotion of naloxone, a drug that can temporarily reverse the effects of an opioid overdose.

The Irish Prison Service published its own Drugs Strategy on 29 November 2023, setting out a series of goals to work towards reducing the harm of substance abuse in a prison environment.

In order to meaningfully tackle the issue of substance abuse in prisons, the Irish Prison Service must work in partnership with all agencies across the criminal justice sector, support agencies that are active in Irish prisons, and relevant community-based organisations to achieve the goals of this strategy together.

In 2024, the Irish Prison Service delivered a programme of both random and intelligence-led operational drug testing for prisoners. The on-site drug testing can detect a range of drugs with instant results supported by secondary laboratory testing where the initial result is inconclusive.

I can also inform the Deputy, that the Irish Prison Service is working in conjunction with the HSE to source further drug testing capability with particular attention on the emerging trend towards the availability of more harmful synthetic drugs.

The Irish Prison Service will continue to research, review and enhance methods to tackle the problem of substance abuse and the prevailing demand for harmful drugs in the prison environment.

The Irish Prison Service also continues to engage with An Garda Síochána at both local and national level with regard to preventing contraband entering our prisons.

There is a free confidential telephone line (1800 855 717) and text line (086 180 2449). People in custody, visitors, staff or members of the public with information on the trafficking of prohibited items into prisons can pass on that information in the strictest confidence.

Prior to August 2024, the Irish Prison Service did not collate data on the number of drug overdoses in the prison system. The attached table outlines the number of drug overdoses since August 2024 to 3 October 2025. The data does not provide medical outcomes.

Table 1: Overdoses by Prison since August 2024 to 3 October 2025.

Conor Sheehan (Limerick City, Labour)
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276. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the number of prisoners held under Rule 62 and Rule 63 in the Prison Service by length of time, broken down by prison, between 2020 and 2025 to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54122/25]

Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail)
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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 quarterly on its website (www.irishprisons.ie). This information can be found in the Information Centre under Statistics & Information, Census Reports.

I am advised that it is not possible to provide the Deputy with the information in relation to the length of time prisoners remain on a restricted regime as this is not centrally recorded or published as part of the quarterly census.

There are a number of reasons for the restriction to 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.

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.

The period a prisoner may be placed on a restricted regime for ranges from hours to a number of weeks or months depending on the purpose of the regime.

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 their 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 them. 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 necessarily detained on ‘22-hour lock-up’ or 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.

Regarding solitary confinement, 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 Policy on the Elimination of Solitary Confinement, which is publicly available on their website.

Conor Sheehan (Limerick City, Labour)
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277. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the number of people sleeping on mattresses in prisons, broken down by prison, in tabular form, between 2020 and 2025; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54123/25]

Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail)
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The Irish Prison Service must accept into custody all people committed to prison by the courts and has no control over the numbers committed to custody at any given time.

Where the number of people in custody exceeds the maximum capacity in any prison, officials in the Irish Prison Service make every effort to deal with this through Temporary Release. Decisions in relation to temporary release are considered on a case by case basis and the safety of the public is paramount when those decisions are made.

I can advise the Deputy that the information requested is not available in the format sought. The Irish Prison Service publishes the numbers in custody including those required to sleep on mattresses daily. This can be found at: www.irishprisons.ie/information-centre/statistics-information/2015-daily-prisoner-population/.

Table 1 attached provides the number of prisoners sleeping on mattresses on 6 October (only) each year between 2020 and 2025.

Table 2 attached provides the average number of individuals sleeping on mattresses, broken down by prison, between 2020 and 2025.

I would like to assure the Deputy that I am acutely aware of the capacity constraints in our prisons and the challenges faced by those who work and live in our prisons as a result.

Since 2022, capacity across the prison estate has been increased by 380 new spaces.

Budget 2026 has delivered a record investment of €67.9 million in capital funding to deliver on a plan to add 1,595 additional prison spaces by 2031, with a masterplan for the Thornton campus to be developed in 2026.

An exemption under the Infrastructure Guidelines will allow for delivery of 960 new places to be accelerated and this is expected to speed up delivery timelines by 12 to 18 months. This includes a new prison on the site of the old Cork prison, a new block in Wheatfield, an additional block extension at Midlands prison, and additional spaces at Castlerea, Mountjoy and the Dóchas Centre.

Conor Sheehan (Limerick City, Labour)
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278. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the number of drug seizures smuggled into prisons between 2020 and 2025, broken down by prison, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54124/25]

Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail)
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I can assure the Deputy that Irish Prison Service staff work tirelessly to take steps to reduce the flow of illicit substances into our prisons. The prevention of access to contraband including illegal drugs into prisons will always be a high priority for the Irish Prison Service. The Irish Prison Service has committed to continuing to invest in new technologies and measures to support our efforts to keep contraband out of prisons.

This includes security measures such as the installation of nets over exercise yards, vigilant observation of prisoners by staff, enhanced CCTV monitoring, the stricter control of visits and the use of random and targeted searches on a daily basis.

It is the case that over 70% of people committed to prison have issues with drug addiction. All prisoners on committal are assessed and a treatment plan is agreed for those who wish to address addiction issues.

The information requested on the total number of drug seizures in prisons from 2020 to 2025 is set out in the attached tables. These statistics from 2015-2024 are available on the Irish Prison Service website.

The Irish Prison Service does not collate statistics on the value of drug finds, as they do not have the facility to test for quantity or substance type. Any suspected drug seizure is passed to An Garda Síochána for investigation.

Conor Sheehan (Limerick City, Labour)
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279. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the number of prisoners being treated for confirmed substance use disorders in Irish prisons between 2020 and 2025, in tabular form, broken down by prison; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54125/25]

Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail)
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I have been advised that, the healthcare records of prisoners in the custody of the Irish Prison Service are recorded on an individual basis on the Prisoner Healthcare Management System (PHMS).

Each individual's record is recorded in a narrative fashion and it is not possible to extract a global report from PHMS to produce a summary of medical conditions or issues for which people have received medical treatment.

However, the Irish Prison Service advise that it is estimated that up to 70% of the people in custody have difficulties associated with substance misuse, and updated research associated with Sharing the Vision will provide more contemporary figures.

The Irish Prison Service provide a health care service for people in custody with addictions in a structured, safe and professional manner 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 for this purpose.

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.

People in custody 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 Irish Prison Service estate (with the exception of Arbour Hill Prison and the Training Unit where the clinical need is currently under review).

This includes provision of counselling and intervention skills related to substance misuse and dependency such as motivational interviewing and enhancement therapy, a twelve step facilitation programme, cognitive behavioural therapy and harm reduction approaches. People in custody are offered one to one counselling and group work interventions.

The Irish Prison Service also works closely with Narcotics Anonymous who provide support to people in custody.

The Irish Prison Service is also in the process of providing additional supports to prisoners with addiction and mental health difficulties, including the 'Recovery College' model which provides education, training and workshops, and the introduction of an Addiction Studies course.

“Sharing the Vision” Ireland’s 2020-2030 national mental health policy further supports meeting the needs of complex prisoners, by mandating that enhanced, tiered mental health supports be provided in the Irish prison system. This is being progressed through partnership with the HSE and the Irish Prison Service and includes developments such as the Justice Workstream to integrate mental health support and the expansion of the Central Mental Hospital, collaborative research and the implementation of plans to improve services.