I propose to take Questions Nos. 52 and 58 together.
I wish to make it absolutely clear that there is no question of any kind of a blanket refusal of access to Irish prisons in so far as Amnesty International is concerned. The Government and Members on all sides of the House greatly value the work of Amnesty throughout the world and continue to support its work in the interest of promoting and safeguarding human rights.
What is at issue here is a joint proposal from Amnesty International and the Irish Penal Reform Trust for a research project on racism in Irish prisons. In the normal course I would be entirely disposed to facilitate the two organisations concerned in conducting a project of this kind. For example, in recent times, my Department afforded access to prisons to the Irish Penal Reform Trust access for a study of the use of segregated cells. This involved granting access to prisoners, prison staff and prison records.
The proposed Amnesty International-IPRT research on racism is not being facilitated, however, for one reason, namely, that similar independent research on racism in our prisons is already being conducted by the National Training and Development Institute which was the successful applicant in a publicly advertised competition for tenders. It makes no sense to have overlapping research on racism being conducted simultaneously in the prisons by independent organisations. This view was conveyed to Amnesty International in detailed correspondence in July and September of this year. That letter also apprised Amnesty International of my view that the better approach would be to conclude the ongoing NTDI research and to proceed without further delay to design and implement a racial and cultural awareness programme for prison staff and prisoners on the basis of the research findings.
In this connection, I want to emphasise that I was perfectly happy, indeed anxious, to let Amnesty know the reasons behind the decision in this case. I did this by way of a comprehensive letter of explanation. I am not sure what issue arises from the fact that I may not have been available for a personal meeting or phone call. I might add that, in the interest of openness and transparency, the aforementioned correspondence also contained an undertaking that Amnesty International and the Irish Penal Reform Trust would be provided with a copy of the NTDI research report and information on the implementation and evaluation of the programme for staff and prisoners in due course.
The fact that Amnesty International and the IPRT are not being facilitated on this occasion has no implication for either organisation in their being afforded access to prisons for appropriate purposes and I reject any suggestion that the decision in this case amounts to exclusion of either organisation from any future research or other project involving prisoners. Comparisons in these circumstances between Egypt, Turkey and Ireland are simply wide of the mark.
