Vol. 461 No. 6
126 Mr. Callely asked the Minister for Justice the total cost for the provision of all recreational and educational facilities available to prisoners; if she will give a breakdown of these costs; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3401/96]
There is a provision of £0.277 million for recreational equipment and materials in this year's Prisons Vote. This covers a range of items from televisions to physical education equipment. The figure does not include any element in respect of staffing costs, as it would not be feasible to differentiate those costs from the overall staffing costs of the institutions.
As regards educational facilities, there is a provision of £0.405 million for educational equipment and materials in this year's Prisons Vote. In addition, the pay costs of teachers, which are funded by the Department of Education, come to approximately £3.014 million. There is also a prison staffing cost in respect of supervising prison education units, but, as in the case of recreation, it would not be possible to differentiate this. Figures are not readily available for the capital cost of recreational and educational facilities which have been provided over the years, often as integral parts of broader based capital projects.
