Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 28 November 2023
422. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Justice the number of prisoners currently serving a custodial sentence in the State where a declaration was made to the courts and/or the prison services as having an official diagnosis of a disability or health condition under categories (details supplied), in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [52442/23]
View answerI can advise the Deputy that the Irish Prison Service do not receive formal declarations in the format requested.
I can further advise that all prisons perform committal interviews, both nursing and medical, and this process captures information relating to physical and mental disabilities, including intellectual disabilities. It should be noted that this information is self declared and as such a person may decide not to disclose or declare such details. These committal interviews result in relevant supports being put in place to help the person committed adjust to the prison environment. This may include physical aids or a specific referral to the Health Service Executive or other community support, for example, speech and language therapy, or physiotherapy.
Where a prisoner indicates that a diagnosis has been made in the community, all reasonable steps are taken to gather the relevant information to inform and support the management of their sentence.
Where a committal interview or other engagement with a staff member, e.g. teacher or Prison Officer, highlights a concern over, for example, autism, ADHD or intellectual disability, a referral may be made to the IPS Psychology Service for assessment, diagnosis and ongoing support as required.
Recommendations made in the High Level Task Force on Mental Health and Addiction and the Department of Health policy, Sharing the Vision, include the requirement for a mental health needs analysis of the prison population. Planning is under way in relation to this needs analysis, co-funded by the Health Service Executive, the Irish Prison Service and the Probation Service. This mental health needs analysis will capture information in relation to 'Mental Disorder' therefore, developmental disabilities and personality disorder will be included. This mental health needs analysis will helpfully inform the way in which the Irish Prison Service assesses and captures information associated with disability, including developmental disability, in the future.
