Vol. 530 No. 3
233 Mr. Gregory asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if, further to Parliamentary Question No. 376 of 21 November 2000, the report referred to has now been considered; and his response to its findings. [3529/01]
The report referred to was one of two conducted on the prevalence of hepatitis B, hepatitis C and HIV in Irish prisoners. The latest report from the research team, based on a very large sample of committal prisoners in 1999, found that infection with hepatitis C among the prisoners who took part in the survey was 22%. However, the prevalence of hepatitis C among declared drug users was found to be 72%. These figures are similar to the prevalence of infection among drug users in the community. Almost one in four of all the 607 prisoners tested had evidence of hepatitis B or C or HIV infection. I have been acutely aware of the problem of hepatitis infection and the associated drug problem in our prisons for some time. Information on HIV, hepatitis B and hepatitis C is routinely available to all prisoners through prison medical and other staff. Prisoners diagnosed with any of these conditions are automatically referred to specialist clinics in external hospitals for assessment and advice in relation to current or envisaged treatment needs. Any recommended treatment is provided to prisoners while in prison.
A steering committee on communicable diseases has been at work in my Department for some time dealing specifically with this important issue. In addition, the director of the prison medical service, in his annual report for 1998 recommended an independent review of the structure and organisation of prison health care services. I had no hesitation in accepting his recommendation and a multi-disciplinary group has been established to conduct this review. This group is expected to report in the first half of this year.
The action plan on drug misuse and drug treatment in the prison system, which I approved in 1999, provides a detailed strategy to raise the level of treatment for drug addicted offenders and reduce the supply of drugs in the prison system. At my request the director general of the prisons service established a national steering group for prison based drug treatment services with a view to implementing the action plan. The steering group comprises representatives from my Department, the Eastern Health Board, senior prisons service management and the probation and welfare service. The director general has agreed to chair the steering group himself to signal the importance that is attached by the prison authorities and Government to this issue. The group submitted its first report to myself in July of last year and the report was circulated to various organisations for views and feedback. The implementation of the recommendations contained in the report were approved, in principle, by the Government on 18 October 2000, on the basis that the precise staffing and other expenditure related proposals would be the subject of direct negotiations between the Departments of Justice, Equality and Law Reform, Health and Children and Finance as well as the prisons service and health boards. The first and most complex phase of these negotiations, achieving an agreed position between the prisons service and the health agencies about all the necessary staffing arrangements has just been completed. Dialogue between these agencies and the Department of Finance about sanctioning posts, etc., is due to commence in the coming days.
