asked the Minister for Justice if he will make a statement on the steps which have been taken or are now proposed to deal with identification, treatment and disposition of prisoners who have AIDS or who have contracted AIDS antibodies or who are suspect in this regard; and the initiatives he is proposing on these issues.
Written Answers - AIDS Prisoners.
11.
I refer the Deputy to my reply to Priority Question No. 38 on 18 February 1988 in which I outlined generally the procedures which are in operation for dealing with offenders in custody who are identified as HIV positive.
Since late 1985 testing for the AIDS virus has been available on a voluntary basis to all prisoners.
In early 1986 it was decided, as a precautionary medical measure and for other reasons, to segregate offenders identified as HIV positive, from the rest of the prison population. The policy of segregation is being kept under review but I am at present satisfied that the balance of advantage lies with the continuation of this policy.
Since the identification of offenders as HIV positive, additional medical officers have been appointed at Mountjoy Prison where all such offenders are accommodated in three separate areas. The medical officers, one of whom deals exclusively with male HIV offenders, attend at the prison regularly and are on call at all times. In addition, arrangements are made for offenders to attend hospital — either on an in-patient or outpatient basis — for tests, treatment etc., when required.
Within the prison itself a wide range of services are available to these offenders. These include psychiatric and psychological services, welfare and educational services and chaplaincy. It will be appreicated that members of the prison service itself also have a key role to play in the provision of an appropriate regime for the offenders in question. In addition to the services outlined, a number of community-based agencies involved with drug addiction problems visit the prison to counsel offenders.
It will be appreciated that the advent of the AIDS virus presents particular problems in prisons and methods of dealing with these problems must be kept under continuous review. A multi-disciplinary team is in place at Mountjoy to assist with this process and to co-ordinate the provision of appropriate services for HIV positive offenders in custody there.