Oversight and evaluation are important elements in developing and improving our penal system and I welcome the recent publication of the report from the Council of Europe Committee on the Prevention of Torture (CPT), together with the responses returned by Ireland in respect of the issues raised by the Committee.
I consider that this CPT report is perhaps the most positive account on Ireland since the process began in 1987 in that it recognises the progress which has been made on long standing issues such as health care and overcrowding in prisons and has favourable commentary on the conditions in healthcare facilities within its remit. While a number of significant reforms have been made, I fully accept that there are still a number of long standing issues which need more work to be resolved and I understand this is where the focus must be.
As the Deputy will be aware, one area highlighted by the Committee for immediate attention is how the complex needs of people with mental health difficulties who come into contact with the criminal justice system are provided for. The whole area of how criminal justice and public health, especially mental health, intersect and how to best provide the most appropriate service is a priority for the me as Minister for Justice and for Minister Donnelly.
It's priority status is acknowledged in the Programme for Government in that it commits to establishing a high-level cross-departmental / cross-agency taskforce to consider the mental health and addiction challenges of those imprisoned, and primary care support on release.
In order to progress this matter, I met with my colleague the Minister for Health in September to lay the foundations for advancing work on this commitment without delay because I believe that a properly constituted Task Force with the support of both Departments can drive much needed transformation in this area.
It is widely acknowledged that every person with mental health difficulties coming in contact with the system should have access to comprehensive mental health support, the Deputy may appreciate that delivering on this requires considerable planning for, and implementation of, an appropriate model of care for this vulnerable group.
This will be a complex body of work with a number of cross-cutting issues that cannot be addressed in isolation.
I am pleased to say that collaboration with the Department of Health on the development of Terms of Reference and structure for the establishment of the Task Force is now at an advanced stage. The terms of reference have been agreed in principle between the two Departments. Work is now underway to identify a chair and put in place other administrative details.
As the Deputy will be aware, the Committee made specific recommendations in relation to the challenges arising in the management of people in the care of the Irish Prison Service in D2 wing in Cloverhill prison. I understand that Wing D2 in Cloverhill is one of the more challenging areas within the prison system and accommodates some of the most vulnerable prisoners in the care of the IPS.
As you may be aware, I have regular engagement with the Director on all aspects of the implementation of Government policies and strategies across the Penal system. I have been assured by the Irish Prison Service that significant efforts are made by the prison staff working there to ensure that the prisoners in their care are treated with dignity and respect.
In that regard, I think it’s only fair to acknowledge the very positive comments made by the Committee, in their preliminary report published in the aftermath of their visit in 2019, regarding what they saw as the overall high level of care provided by prison staff to prisoners which left the Committee with the impression that there is a genuine concern among staff for those in custody.
Notwithstanding this, I accept that we do need to rise to the challenges and I am committed to delivering solutions to address the acute and complex needs of vulnerable prisoners in our custody.
While there is unlikely to be quick fix solutions to some of the issues highlighted by the CPT, we will continue to work intensively together to ensure all people get the care and support they need from our system.
