Ciarán Cuffe
Question:158 Mr. Cuffe asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the names, titles and organisational affiliations of the persons consulted in the preparation of the new prison drugs strategy. [17004/04]
View answerThursday, 3 June 2004
Questions (163)
Written answers
In early 2000, a national steering group on prison-based drug treatment services was established by the director general of the Irish Prison Service at the request of the then Minister. Its brief was to progress the issue of drug treatment and associated services within the prison system, particularly in the Dublin area. The group includes representatives of the Eastern Regional Health Authority.
The national steering group produced a report on prison-based drug treatment services in July 2000. It consulted widely with external groups prior to the drafting of this report. A public advertisement inviting submissions from interested parties was placed in the national newspapers on 27 January 2000. A total of 22 submissions were received from various parties including healthcare professionals, community and voluntary groups as well as from individual members of the public, as follows:
Submissions
Mr. Michael Ruane
Mr. Con Doherty
Dr. N. B. Daly
North Inner City Drugs Task Force (1)
Outreach Service-Aids-Drugs Service, Eastern Health Board
Star Project
Visiting Committee, Training Unit
Carlow-Kilkenny Probation and Welfare Service
Ms Margaret Phelan
Prisons Psychology Service
Steering Committee of the Community and Prison Link Service in Ballyfermot
Prison Survey Team, Trinity College
Merchant's Quay Project
Irish Penal Reform Trust
Dr. Patrick Troy, Portlaoise Prison
Ms Valladares Goldberg
Ballymun Youth Action Project
Prison Officer DJ Fahey
The Irish National Council of Attention Deficit Disorder Support Groups
NICDTF
Crosscare Drugs Awareness Programme, Clonliffe College
Sr. Ní Uallacháin, Matt Talbot Community Trust
The national steering group considered all of these submissions in finalising its July 2000 report.
In October 2002, the national steering group established a national policy subgroup, which was mandated with the production of a drugs policy for the Irish Prison Service. The subgroup consisted of Irish Prison Service management, prison governors and health board staff, together with relevant clinicians. The subgroup adopted a multidisciplinary approach to drafting the policy document and incorporated recommendations from various working groups established within the Irish Prison Service over the previous number of years, including the prison and community drugs liaison group, which was established in 2001 and provides a mechanism for a regular exchange of views between prison management and the community and voluntary sector.
I have met prison governors to discuss the operational implications of the policy, which will among other things, reflect the clear objectives in this area of An Agreed Programme for Government. I am currently finalising the drugs policy against the background of the extensive process of consultation and discussion.