Prison Deaths

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 6 October 2020

Tuesday, 6 October 2020

Questions (607)

Thomas Pringle

Question:

607. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Justice the number of deaths in custody by year, by prison, by gender and by cause of death in each of the years 2010 to 2019 and to date in 2020, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28536/20]

Written answers

Minister for Justice

I am advised by the Irish Prison Service that all deaths in custody are notified to An Garda Síochána, who investigate where circumstances warrant, in addition to the inquest held in the Coroner's Court. The cause of death is determined by a jury on the basis of the information presented to the Coroner’s Court.

Moreover, all deaths in custody are also subject to an independent investigation by the Inspector of Prisons. The investigation by the Inspector of Prisons applies to prisoners who are in the custody of the Irish Prison Service, and includes those instances where the death of the prisoner has occurred outside the prison, or the prisoner in question was recently on temporary release at the time of death.

The Irish Prison Service also has an internal review mechanism which assesses the circumstances of a death in custody, highlights accountability and outlines any actions to be taken in relation to the incident.

I am advised by the Irish Prison Service that 100 deaths, classified as deaths in custody, were recorded for the period 2010 to 04 October 2020.

Table1: Deaths in Custody 2010 to 1 October 2020 classified by Cause of Death as determined by Coroner:

Cause of Death	Number
Inquest Pending	35
Misadventure	18
Suicide	17
Open Verdict	6
Natural Causes	15
Narrative Verdict	6
Deceased took own life	2
Unlawful Killing	1
Total	100

Table 2: Deaths in Custody 2010 to 1 October 2020 classified by Year, Gender, Prison, and Cause of Death as determined by Coroner

Year	Gender	Prison	Cause of Death (as determined by Coroner)
2020
	Male	Cloverhill	Inquest Pending
	Male	Limerick	Inquest Pending
	Male	Castlerea	Inquest Pending
	Male	Castlerea	Inquest Pending
	Male	Arbour Hill	Inquest Pending
	Male	Wheatfield	Inquest Pending
	Male	Arbour Hill	Inquest Pending
	Male	Cork	Inquest Pending
2019
	Male	Midlands	Inquest Pending
	Male	Cloverhill	Inquest Pending
	Male	Cloverhill	Inquest Pending
	Male	Cloverhill	Inquest Pending
	Female	Dochas Centre	Inquest Pending
	Male	Wheatfield	Inquest Pending
	Male	Midlands	Inquest Pending
	Male	Arbour Hill	Inquest Pending
	Male	Limerick	Inquest Pending
	Male	Cork	Inquest Pending
	Male	Portlaoise	Inquest Pending
	Male	Wheatfield	Inquest Pending
	Male	Mountjoy	Inquest Pending
	Male	Midlands	Inquest Pending
	Male	Midlands	Inquest Pending
2018
	Male	Midlands	Inquest Pending
	Male	Midlands	Inquest Pending
	Male	Cork	Misadventure
	Male	Mountjoy	Inquest Pending
	Male	Midlands	Inquest Pending
	Male	Mountjoy	Inquest Pending
	Male	Wheatfield	Inquest Pending
	Male	Cork	Suicide
	Male	Mountjoy	Inquest Pending
2017
	Male	Cloverhill	Suicide
	Male	Wheatfield	Inquest Pending
	Male	Limerick	Open Verdict
	Male	Cork	Suicide
	Male	Mountjoy	Misadventure
	Male	Midlands	Natural Causes
	Male	Midlands	Inquest Pending
	Male	Mountjoy	Open Verdict
	Male	Cork	Natural Causes
2016
	Male	Mountjoy	Suicide
	Male	Midlands	Natural Causes
	Male	Wheatfield	Narrative
	Male	Portlaoise	Suicide
	Male	Mountjoy	‘Deceased took his own life.’
2015
	Male	Cloverhill	Narrative
	Male	Midlands	Suicide
	Male	Mountjoy	Natural Causes
	Male	Midlands	Misadventure
	Male	Midlands	Natural Causes
	Male	Castlerea	Open Verdict
	Male	Portlaoise	Inquest Pending
	Female	Dochas Centre	Narrative
	Male	Arbour Hill	Natural Causes
	Male	Cork	Unlawful Killing
	Male	Midlands	Misadventure
	Male	Mountjoy	Misadventure
	Male	Midlands	Natural Causes
	Male	Mountjoy	‘Deceased took his own life.’
	Male	Cloverhill	Misadventure
2014
	Male	Limerick	Misadventure
	Male	Wheatfield	Misadventure
	Male	Wheatfield	Natural Causes
	Male	Mountjoy	Narrative
	Male	Cloverhill	Open
	Male	Mountjoy	Misadventure
	Male	Mountjoy	Suicide
	Male	Mountjoy	Suicide
2013
	Male	Wheatfield	Natural Causes
	Male	Castlerea	Inquest Pending
	Male	Limerick	Open Verdict
	Male	Mountjoy	Death by Suicide
	Male	Mountjoy	Death by Misadventure
	Male	Cork	Suicide
	Male	Wheatfield	Natural Causes
	Male	Mountjoy	Death by Suicide
	Male	Midlands	Inquest Pending
2012
	Male	Mountjoy	Suicide
	Male	Mountjoy	Misadventure
	Male	Midlands	Natural Causes
	Male	Limerick	Open
	Male	Mountjoy	Suicide
2011
	Male	Cloverhill	Suicide
	Male	Shelton Abbey	Misadventure
	Male	Wheatfield	Narrative Verdict
	Male	Mountjoy	Misadventure
	Male	Wheatfield	Misadventure
	Male	Castlerea	Misadventure
2010
	Male	Wheatfield Prison	Natural Causes
	Male	Midlands Prison	Suicide
	Female	Dochas Centre	Suicide
	Male	Mountjoy Prison	Suicide
	Male	Arbour Hill Prison	Narrative Verdict
	Male	Cloverhill Prison	Natural Causes
	Male	Midlands Prison	Natural Causes
	Male	Midlands Prison	Natural Causes
	Male	Mountjoy Prison	Misadventure
	Male	Cork Prison	Misadventure
	Male	Loughan House	Misadventure