Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 1 March 2022
600. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Justice the number of days prison workshops, such as woodwork and metalwork, were closed since 2015 to date, by prison institution; and the reason for closure. [11659/22]
View answerI am advised by the Irish Prison Service that it provides a wide range of rehabilitative programmes to those in custody that include education, vocational training, healthcare, psychiatric, psychological, counselling, welfare and spiritual services.
These programmes are available in all prisons and all prisoners are eligible to use the services.
The guiding principles which underpin the prisons' work and training service are to make available work, work-training and other purposeful activities to all those in custody. There are over 120 workshops and service activities across the prison estate with a current work station capacity of 1,376. Training activities are chosen to give as much variety as possible and also to give opportunities for those in prison to acquire practical skills which will help them secure employment on release.
The Work and Training Service has an authorised staffing allocation of 378 Work and Training Officers who are assigned to areas such as catering, laundry, industrial cleaning, industrial skills and gym.
The manner in which records are collated does not allow the Prison Service to provide statistics on the number of days the workshops were closed and the reasons for such closures.
Statistics are not maintained on the number of days workshops were closed since 2015. Closures could be due to measures including staff shortages, infection control and other reasons.
Such statistics could only be compiled by the examination of training and workshops in each prison which would involve the commitment of a disproportionate amount of staff time impacting adversely on the work of the prisons. Statistics are available for the percentage of closed hours for 2020 and up to November 2021 and are outlined in the table below.
Closures in Prison Workshops - percentage of closed hours for 2020 and 2021.
|
Name of Prison |
% Closed hours - 2020 |
% Closed hours - 2021 (Jan- Nov) |
|
Arbour Hill |
13.41% |
20.00% |
|
Castlerea |
25.51% |
22.29% |
|
Cloverhill |
20.18% |
20.00% |
|
Cork |
29.50% |
29.19% |
|
Dóchas |
31.37% |
33.24% |
|
Limerick |
31.09% |
35.09% |
|
Loughan House |
43.52% |
15.30% |
|
Midlands |
10.23% |
23.00% |
|
Mountjoy |
26.33% |
24.82% |
|
Portlaoise |
31.32% |
24.43% |
|
Shelton Abbey |
0.00% |
0.87% |
|
Wheatfield |
73.04% |
30.67% |
|
Total |
31.45% |
24.76% |
