Vol. 461 No. 7
240 Mr. E. Byrne asked the Minister for Justice the number of medical practitioners assigned to Mountjoy Prison Dublin, including St. Patrick's Institution and the Women's Prison; and the persons responsible for the treatment of drug addicts within these prisons. [3552/96]
There are five medical doctors assigned on a part-time/sessional basis to Mountjoy Prison (male), two assigned on a part-time sharing basis to Mountjoy Prison (female) and one on a part-time basis to St. Patrick's Institution. An additional part-time post for the proposed drug treatment facility at Mountjoy Prison has also recently been advertised. In addition, six psychiatrists from the Central Mental Hospital provide services on a sessional basis.
Assessment of treatment needs for any prisoner, including drug addiction, is the responsibility of medical staff within the prisons. As I have already announced, I am setting up a detoxification unit and a drugs-free unit within the Mountjoy Prison complex to provide a structured response to the problems presented by drug addicts in prison. It is proposed that the detoxification unit and the drugs-free unit will be ready within the next few months.
