Prisoner Discipline

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 18 December 2012

Tuesday, 18 December 2012

Questions (458, 459)

Tom Fleming

Question:

458. Deputy Tom Fleming asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of mobile telephones that were seized from inmates in each prison here in 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 and to date in 2012. [56208/12]

Tom Fleming

Question:

459. Deputy Tom Fleming asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the measures he has taken to clamp down on the use of mobile telephones in prisons; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56209/12]

Written answers

Minister for Justice and Equality

I propose to take Questions Nos. 458 and 459 together.

The information requested by the Deputy on the number of mobile phone seizures in the years 2008 to date is set out in the table.

Prison/Place of Detention	2008	2009	2010	2011	2012 (25.11.12)
Arbour Hill	3	2	1	2	1
Castlerea	106	70	43	42	24
Cloverhill	128	41	16	20	29
Cork	64	27	13	30	10
Dóchas Centre	55	40	12	42	10
Limerick	292	309	133	100	119
Loughan House	58	78	155	104	53
Midlands	136	87	92	123	78
Mountjoy (Male)	580	904	742	420	304
Portlaoise	41	48	18	27	3
Shelton Abbey	72	103	88	77	80
St. Patrick's Institution	160	121	138	220	265
Training Unit	120	116	191	113	54
Wheatfield	232	228	76	48	17
Total	2,047	2,174	1,718	1,368	1,047

Section 36 of the Prisons Act, 2007, which was brought into operation on 1 May, 2007, makes it an offence for prisoners to have unauthorised possession of or use of mobile telecommunication devices. Under the Act it is also an offence to supply such a device to a prisoner. The penalties for such an offence, on summary conviction, include a fine not exceeding €5,000 or imprisonment for a term not exceeding 12 months or both, and on conviction on indictment, to a fine not exceeding €10,000 or imprisonment for a term not exceeding 5 years or both. It is Irish Prison Service policy to report and hand over seizures of mobile phones to the Gardaí.

Cell and area searches for contraband such as mobile phones take place in all prisons on a daily basis. These include random, targeted and intelligence led searches. These searches have been particularly effective and local intelligence indicates that the availability of mobile phones has decreased across the prison system. As the Deputy can see the number of mobile phones seized in prisons has reduced, year on year, from 2009 and given the figure for the year to date it is expected that the final figure for 2012 will show a further decrease . This is as a direct consequence of the security measures introduced, including airport style scanners and x-ray machines, which are in operation at the entrances of all the relevant closed prisons.