asked the Minister for Justice if he will establish a special detention unit for prisoners suffering from the AIDS virus; and if he will outline the present procedure followed in relation to prisoners suffering from this disease.
Written Answers. - Prisoners Suffering from AIDS.
38.
Testing for the AIDS virus is available on a voluntary basis to all prisoners.
Prisoners who are found to be HIV positive are segregated from the general prison population. At present they are held in three separate areas in Mountjoy Prison. The decision in early 1986 to segregate such prisoners was taken to facilitate appropriate medical precautions and for operational reasons relating to good order in the institutions.
Additional medical officers have been appointed at the prison since the identification of offenders as HIV positive and these attend regularly and are on call at all times. In addition, arrangements are made for the offenders to attend hospital for tests, treatment etc. when required. A wide range of services are made available to offenders such as psychiatric and psychological, welfare, chaplaincy and educational. In addition, representatives of a number of community-based agencies involved with drug addiction visit the prison to counsel offenders. The Deputy will appreciate that members of the prison service itself have a key role to play in the provision of an appropriate regime for these offenders.
I am not clear what the Deputy may have in mind by a special detention unit beyond the arrangements already in place. It should be borne in mind that the medical requirements can vary greatly in relation to individual offenders at different stages. For example, some require little more than monitoring of their condition whereas others can require intensive medical intervention which can only be met in a hospital setting. Because of the nature of the infections to which the offenders are prone it can also be the case that attendance at several hospitals specialising in various illnesses is necessary.