Vol. 419 No. 3
27 Miss Flaherty asked the Minister for Justice whether there was any reason to suspect that a person (details supplied) might commit suicide; whether any psychiatric intervention had taken place; and if he will make a statement on the suicide of this person in Mountjoy Prison on Sunday, 22 March 1992.
As an inquest is pending in this case there are limits to how much comment I can make on the matter.
The person referred to in the Deputy's question was committed to Portlaoise on 11 January 1990 to serve a 5 year sentence and was transferred to the Training Unit, Glengarriff Parade in July 1990.
During his time in the Training Unit he was seen by a Medical Officer on several occasions but never sought, or appeared to require, referral to a psychiatrist. He was on a normal work programme, was receiving regular visits and was generally participating well in the activities of the Training Unit. A short time before his death he had been interviewed by an official from my Department and informed that a pre-release programme was under consideration for him, commencing with temporary release for a weekend in May 1992. In all these circumstances his death was quite unexpected.
A full internal investigation has taken place into this death. It has also been the subject of a full Garda investigation and, as I have stated, an inquest will be held.
