I am disappointed the Minister is not present. That is not a reflection on the Minister of State, Deputy Moffatt, who I hope will relay my thoughts and concerns on the matter I raise. If he cannot reply fully, perhaps he will pass on my remarks so that they are communicated to the right offices.
I thank the Cathaoirleach for allowing me raise the matter of the transport of prisoners. Over the past six to 12 months we have witnessed a range of incidents, one of which led to the well-being of a prison officer being put at risk. That occurred on 24 January last when a prisoner, being escorted by three prison officers from Cloverhill Prison to Cork Prison, placed a syringe to the neck of the prison officer to whom he was handcuffed and forced the other officers to unlock his handcuffs. One could probably ask where the syringe came from, but one could also ask whether the prisoner should have been restrained more securely, or isolated.
There is also the practice of prisoners being escorted by taxi. One must ask if this is a suitable mode of transport for any prisoner with a violent reputation or charged with a serious offence, having regard to various factors. It would be appropriate for an elderly prisoner spending a day or two in prison for failing to pay his or her television licence or for non-payment of a fine. There must be a case for certain basic measures to be taken during the transportation of prisoners convicted of a violent offence or a drugs offence, where there is a possibility that he or she is likely to try to escape or inflict violence on a prison officer or, if they escape, on a member of the public.
We saw earlier this month where a prison van was attacked. The prisoner in question had a history of offences. It behoves us to ensure prison officers run prisons and, where prisoners are escorted to and from court or from one prison to another, that the prison authorities are in charge. That does not appear to be the case at present. While I understand that the Minister, in conjunction with the authorities, has ordered a review, I hope it will not just be a rubber stamp job because it appears a root and branch review is needed, with some of the current practices dispensed with immediately. They allow for the possibility of escape with the potential risk that poses to the community. There is no point in gardaí or prison officers saying they thought a prisoner would not try to escape because he had not tried before. People serving time for certain offences must be dealt with in a certain way. The public demands that.
There have been other cases where prisoners have escaped. We are aware of what happened in the Central Mental Hospital in Dundrum. We are also aware of a prisoner released for a driving lesson who decided not to return and of other similar cases of people on temporary release. While they are not related to the matter I raise, it behoves the Minister and the authorities to do something.
Will the Minister of State relay to the Minister my belief that what has happened is not good enough? We are fortunate that prison officers were not seriously injured in this case. The shock and knock-on effects of a syringe attack are almost as bad as the potential consequences of such an attack. Will the Minister of State take on board what I said, respond as positively as possible and indicate when this review will be complete?