Éamon Ó Cuív
Question:108. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Justice the arrangements made for recommencing prison visits; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35629/21]
View answerThursday, 8 July 2021
Questions (108)
Written answers
I welcome the excellent work done by the Irish Prison Service over the last 16 months to keep prisoners and staff as safe as possible in very difficult circumstances.
Nonetheless the unwinding of prison restrictions and the resumption of physical visits is a priority for the IPS and my Department. As the Deputy will appreciate, this is kept under review subject to a number of critical factors including the risk of the Delta variant, the need to maintain infection control measures and impact on staffing of this, the roll out of the prison vaccination programme for both prisoners and staff, as well as the community vaccination programme.
I can advise the Deputy that the Irish Prison Service is currently developing a new Framework for the Unwinding of Prison Restrictions, informed by the recent Government Plan for reopening our society, set out in Resilience and Recovery: The Path Ahead.
I am pleased to report that a full prison vaccination programme commenced on 9th June on a prison by prison basis. Vaccinations are being administered by the National Ambulance Service, supported by Prison Service health care teams to all prisoners, and unvaccinated staff under 40 years of age. While the schedule is agreed with the HSE it is subject to change and outside the control of the Prison Service.
In line with the vaccination schedule, physical visits to prisons will recommence on a phased prison by prison basis with visits resuming 7 days after prisoners have been fully vaccinated. Therefore, in line with the envisaged completion on the vaccination programme as currently set out, the IPS hopes to be able to recommence physical visits in Wheatfield Prison on 14 July.
I am advised that, in line with the vaccination schedule, it is expected that visits will have recommenced in eight prisons by the end of July with visits returning to the remaining four locations in August and September.
However, it is also important to note that this will be subject to consideration of infection and hospitalisation levels in the community, given the increased concern surrounding the Delta variant.
The operation and frequency of visits will be kept under ongoing review, guided by HSE and Public Health advice as well as a desire to support as much contact as possible between prisoners and their families.
Finally, I can advise the Deputy that the video visit system which was introduced in 2020 has proven very successful and when physical visits recommence, the Prison Service will also retain the option of video calls for prisoners.
Detailed information for families in relation to the operation of visits and booking system is available on the Irish Prison Service website www.irishprisons.ie .