Liz O'Donnell
Question:669 Ms O'Donnell asked the Minister for Justice the computerisation available in Mountjoy Prison to log committals and releases; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15800/96]
Written Answers. - Computerisation in Mountjoy Prison.
At present, two committal institutions, Mountjoy Prison and St. Patrick's Institution, are linked to a computerised prisoner record system located in the Department of Justice.
While the system is vital in the day to day running of the prisons service, due to its age and the amount and structure of data now on the system, it cannot readily provide statistical reports of a detailed nature. This problem has led, for example, to delays in the publication of the annual report on prisons and places of detention and generally hampered the collation of up-to-date figuretrends.
The provision of a new computerised prisoner records system, which will extend to all institutions, is being pursued as energetically as resources will allow. It is planned that any new system will be able to provide a more efficient system of tracking offenders and a more comprehensive statistical service.