I propose to take Questions Nos. 184 and 185 together.
It is recognised that a significant percentage of persons committed to prisons, particularly in the Dublin area, are habitual drug abusers, many of whom actively seek to maintain their habit while in prison custody. The Prisons Service, with my full support, is resolutely committed to tackling this issue in a comprehensive and proactive manner. While there are no plans to establish a specific custodial detention centre solely for drug addicted prisoners, I am informed by the director general of the Prisons Service that expanding the range of measures available to address drug abuse among prisoners is receiving priority attention. This involves a twin track approach of supply and demand reduction. A number of technical and policy measures have been introduced in recent years to curtail the smuggling into and use of illegal drugs in the prison system. These include sophisticated video surveillance, improved visiting and searching facilities, increased vigilance by staff and urine testing. Efforts to eliminate the supply of drugs coming into our prisons are not enough on their own. The Prison Service will continue to seek to reduce demand for drugs within the prison system by the education, treatment and rehabilitation of drug addicted offenders.