Gay Mitchell
Question:10 Mr. G. Mitchell asked the Minister for Justice if she will give details of the composition of the committee she has formed to advise her on the building of a new women's prison.
Ceisteanna — Questions. Oral Answers. - Women's Prison Committee.
The committee is chaired by the assistant secretary in my Department with responsibility for prisons. It includes other senior officials in my Department and prisons management personnel, together with Ms Anne Taylor, chairwoman of the Council for the Status of Women and Ms Carmel Foley, chief executive of the Employment Equality Agency.
As I announced publicly on 21 January, the steering committee will advise me in relation to a range of issues in connection with the provision of the new women's prison, including regime, facilities, services and design matters. The construction of this new facility represents a unique opportunity to provide modern, dedicated accommodation with high-grade facilities designed specifically to meet the needs of women prisoners. It is most important that these needs should be clearly identified in advance of any design work and that there should be a broad consensus on the type of facility required. The first task of the steering committee will be to complete this preparatory work as quickly as possible and to report to me with recommendations as to how we should proceed from there.
The committee has held its first meeting and has placed advertisements in the national newspapers inviting submissions from all interested parties. I should like to urge all persons with a concern for the care and treatment of women prisoners to respond to the invitation as quickly as possible.
I commend the Minister for including women on the advisory committee. It was a worthwhile, commendable and proper step. Will the Minister consider expanding the committee to include, perhaps, a social worker, a psychiatrist and a psychologist who would have first hand knowledge of the problems of those confined in female prisons?
I will certainly consider that request.
Given that the majority of women prisoners in Mountjoy are there for persistent shoplifting offences — in other words they are non-violent criminals — and intravenous drug users, has the Minister considered any alternative measures other than imprisonment?
The subject matter raised in the supplementary question will be responded to in Question No. 19.
Let us not anticipate that question.