Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 21 Feb 2002

Vol. 549 No. 2

Written Answers. - Prison Visitors Centres.

Brian Hayes

Question:

46 Mr. B. Hayes asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if he will make a statement concerning the prison families centres at Mountjoy, St. Patrick's and Clover Hill prisons; and if 25 full-time jobs will be lost as a result of the failure of his Department to provide mainstream funding for these facilities. [4142/02]

Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform (Mr. O'Donoghue)

As stated in my reply to Parliamentary Questions Nos. 922, 939 and 1021 of 30 January, the Society of St. Vincent de Paul and the Religious Society of Friends jointly manage, on behalf of the Prisons Service, visitors centres waiting rooms which are attached to a number of prisons. Their work is in support of prisoners' families as they wait to meet the prisoner in the relevant prison.

The Prisons Service fully recognises the work being undertaken at the visitors' centres. In that context the following support funding was or is being provided from official funds as follows:

2000	£250,862.00
2001	£395,948.00 the original amount granted was £275,848)
2002	€571,382.13 (£450,000.00)

The Deputy will appreciate that, from the sums outlined, sizeable amounts of money have been made available to manage the visitors' centres. However, there is a need to ensure these centres are managed properly within agreed budgets.

The purpose of these centres is to provide refreshments, a child minding service during the course of visits and very limited counselling or referral services to prisoners' families.

I understand the Society of St. Vincent de Paul and the Religious Society of Friends are currently reviewing their operations at these centres from a financial and management control perspective. The Prisons Service is contributing towards the financial costs of that review.