Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 16 February 2017
59. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality if she or any person in her Department has examined the possibility of working with the Department of Health to expand the remit of HIQA to cover prisons. [7617/17]
View answerOn foot of the recommendations of the Committee for the Prevention of Torture following its visit of September 2014, the Irish Prison Service has been engaged with the Department of Health in relation to a fundamental review of healthcare in prisons and the provision of healthcare services in prisons generally. It has confirmed that the Terms of Reference for this review have been drafted and are to be agreed by both Departments. Discussions had taken place with the Health Information and Quality Authority regarding the possibility of it conducting the review. However, the Health Information and Quality Authority was not in a position to conduct such a review.
