asked the Minister for Justice if he has taken steps to ensure that up-to-date reports are made in respect of the prison services in accordance with the provisions of the 1925 Act.
42.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Prison Services.
41.
asked the Minister for Justice the date of the most recent report on this country's prison services.
With the permission of the Ceann Comhairle, I propose to take Questions No. 41 and 42 together.
The 1975 Annual Report on Prisons was presented to the House on 8th November, 1977, and may be purchased from the Stationery Office. The 1976 report will be published by the end of the year. I have expanded the Departmental staff dealing with the treatment of offenders and this will enable the annual reports on prisons to be published in good time in the future.
43.
asked the Minister for Justice if, with regard to the recommendation of the Cork Visiting Committee on the lack of wash facilities and the dangers inherent therein, he has taken steps to deal with the matter.
A check of the relevant records has disclosed no such recommendation from or comment by the visiting committee.
44.
asked the Minister for Justice if he is aware that according to the 1974 Prisons Report, 89.9 per cent of the juveniles in St. Patrick's Institution, Dublin have a reading age of 12 or under; and, if so, why.
I am so aware. As Minister for Justice I am not in any way specially qualified to explain why the reading age of a large proportion of persons committed to custody is low.
Would the Minister not agree that he has an overall responsibility for the institution and therefore for the educational arrangements in it? Is he worried about the state of affairs, and would he propose to bring the report concerned to the attention of the education experts who work for that institution?
Certainly there is no reason to say that the Minister is not worried about the position, but the question asked was why juveniles in prison were in this unfortunate situation. There is no doubt that the Minister is concerned and, as the Deputy says, it would be no harm to put it to the Minister for Education.