asked Minister for Defence if he is aware of the unsatisfactory arrangements in force for relatives when visiting prisoners at the Curragh; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Prisoner Visiting Arrangements.
52.
I am satisfied with the arrangements for visits to prisoners in the Military Detention Barracks, Curragh Training Camp.
Is the Minister satisfied that it is a suitable arrangement to have two military policemen standing closer to the prisoner than the actual relative and in certain instances visitors can barely shake hands with the relative they are visiting? Does the Minister consider this a satisfactory arrangement?
I do not accept the Deputy's implications. The position is that I have been in communication through my visiting committee and directly myself with various interests who were seeking to improve visiting conditions. We have reduced the size of the table from 5 feet 3 inches to 3 feet 10 inches so that visitors may be closer to the prisoner visited. The glass partition on top of the table was reduced from 15 inches to 12 inches. All visits must be supervised. There is a security risk and I reject completely the situation described by the Deputy in which, he alleges, military police stand closer to the prisoner than the visitors. For a trial period I have arranged that non-commissioned officers supervising visits will not carry batons. From 5th March last one group of prisoners decided to stop receiving visits in support of certain demands. I have been able to help them in this respect. One prisoner wished to attend a Church of Ireland service outside the prison and we had him moved to another prison where he could be facilitated in this respect. There was a request for improved bedding. That was provided. Facilities for leather work were asked for and they were provided. The question of the changing of bed linen and so forth was looked after by me. There was also a partition required between certain toilet facilities and the dining area and that was erected. I think the conditions in the Curragh prison at the moment are as good as they can be possibly made.
Question No. 53.
Would the Minister agree that from the 5th of March until now is a long time to have taken to improve the visiting conditions for prisoners?
I would not accept this at all. Some of those improvements were provided almost within days or weeks of a request having been substantiated as one that should be looked at in a very responsible way. Sporting facilities were provided by me at a cost of about £800. Whatever claustrophobic situation there might be there because of the smallness of the prison, which, of course, is only being used because half of Mountjoy was broken up, these things have meant that prisoners are happier in the Curragh.
Is it not true that——
I have allowed the Deputy reasonable latitude. We cannot have a debate on this matter today.
——better visiting conditions are provided in Long Kesh?
The position as I understand it there is that one group of prisoners are convicted prisoners and another group are people who have been interned. Different regulations, I understand, apply. I would not at all accept the Deputy's suggestion that the regulations that we apply, which are the ordinary prison regulations, using the most lenient interpretation we can, are any worse than Long Kesh. I would regard them, from the reading I have done on the matter, as very much better.