Peadar Tóibín
Question:
596. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Justice the number of drug finds in each prison for each of the past ten years; the estimated value of these drugs finds in each prison for each of the past ten years; the number of persons who have been convicted for these drugs finds in each prison for each of the past ten years; and the number of Irish Prison Service staff who have been convicted for these finds in each prison for each of the past five years. [27875/22]
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Peadar Tóibín
Question:
597. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Justice the number of phones and illegal contraband which have been found in each prison for each of the past five years; the number of persons who have been convicted for these drugs finds in each prison for each of the past ten years; and the number of Irish Prison Service staff who have been convicted for these finds in each prison for each of the past ten years. [27876/22]
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 596 and 597 together.
The information sought by the Deputy is currently being collated and verified and I will write to the Deputy once the information is to hand.
The following deferred reply was received under Standing Order 51.
I refer to your recent Parliamentary Questions Numbers 596 and 597 for written answer on Tuesday 31 May 2022 requesting the number of drug finds in each prison for each of the past ten years; the estimated value of these drugs finds in each prison for each of the past ten years; the number of persons who have been convicted for these drugs finds in each prison for each of the past ten years; and the number of Irish Prison Service staff who have been convicted for these finds in each prison for each of the past five years
and
the number of phones and illegal contraband which have been found in each prison for each of the past five years; the number of persons who have been convicted for these drugs finds in each prison for each of the past ten years; and the number of Irish Prison Service staff who have been convicted for these finds in each prison for each of the past ten years respectively .
As you will recall, the information you requested was not readily available at that time and Minister McEntee undertook to respond to you as soon as possible with the relevant information. A response to these questions is now provided below.
Preventing access to contraband items continues to be a major challenge in prisons today. In particular mobile phones and drugs are viewed as highly valuable commodities among elements of the prison population. Efforts are made on a continuous basis to prevent the flow of contraband into our prisons through security measures such as the installation of nets over exercise yards, vigilant observation of prisoners by staff, enhanced CCTV monitoring, stricter control of visits and the use of random and targeted searches on a daily basis.
The Irish Prison Service continues to enhance prison security and, as can been seen from contraband seizure statistics, significant amounts of contraband are detected and intercepted before reaching the prison population. The Service recently introduced new drug swabbing equipment which is similar to airport style explosives swabbing and an anti-drone system is now fully operational in a number of prisons.
The Service is also in the process of upgrading security screening equipment at the point of entry to prisons to enhance the detection of contraband including very small mobile phones.
Addressing both the demand for, and supply of, illegal drugs remains a priority for the Irish Prison Service. A new drug strategy containing actions aimed at reducing the supply and demand for illegal drugs in prisons is under consideration.
I am advised by the Irish Prison Service that, the information requested in respect of drug seizures and phone seizures is provided in the appendix, tables 1 and 2.
I can advise the Deputy that, the Irish Prison Service does not collate statistics on the value of drug finds, as the Irish Prison Service do not have the facility to test for quantity or substance type and any suspected drug seizure is passed to An Garda Síochána for examination.
With regard to your request for information concerning the number of convictions for both drugs and mobile phone seizures, the data on the number of convictions which attracted a custodial warrant has been collated by the Irish Prison Service and is set out in the appendix, tables 3 to 8.
It should be noted that this information does not include any convictions that may have received a non-custodial conviction such as a suspended prison sentence or Community Service order.
I trust this explains the situation.
Appendix 1
Table 1: Total number of drug seizures in prisons from 2012 to weekending 20th May 2022.
|
Prison
|
Year 2022*
|
Year 2021
|
Year 2020
|
Year 2019
|
Year 2018
|
Year 2017
|
Year 2016
|
Year 2015
|
Year 2014
|
Year 2013
|
Year 2012
|
|
Arbour Hill Prison
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
|
Castlerea Prison
|
20
|
5
|
36
|
59
|
70
|
85
|
48
|
78
|
98
|
70
|
50
|
|
Cloverhill Prison
|
119
|
55
|
207
|
186
|
155
|
93
|
88
|
104
|
167
|
105
|
78
|
|
Cork Prison
|
13
|
17
|
46
|
65
|
55
|
21
|
38
|
39
|
72
|
48
|
49
|
|
Limerick Prison
|
72
|
13
|
116
|
81
|
94
|
84
|
88
|
63
|
80
|
158
|
287
|
|
Loughan House
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
4
|
5
|
7
|
26
|
16
|
9
|
15
|
|
Midlands Prison
|
31
|
27
|
33
|
97
|
97
|
124
|
99
|
86
|
136
|
136
|
115
|
|
Mountjoy Female Prison
|
0
|
0
|
3
|
15
|
9
|
13
|
10
|
19
|
13
|
3
|
35
|
|
Mountjoy Male Prison
|
127
|
89
|
319
|
237
|
221
|
373
|
139
|
136
|
143
|
183
|
235
|
|
Portlaoise Prison
|
9
|
0
|
11
|
19
|
30
|
35
|
33
|
34
|
17
|
18
|
19
|
|
Shelton Abbey
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
1
|
0
|
2
|
3
|
10
|
0
|
1
|
13
|
|
St Patricks Institution
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
52
|
60
|
101
|
219
|
|
The Training Unit
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
6
|
13
|
5
|
29
|
18
|
|
Wheatfield Prison
|
217
|
71
|
479
|
490
|
403
|
183
|
156
|
148
|
179
|
158
|
123
|
|
Total
|
608
|
277
|
1,251
|
1,251
|
1,138
|
1,018
|
715
|
808
|
986
|
1,019
|
1,256
|
Table 2:Total number of mobile phone seizures in prisons from 2017 to weekending 20th May 2022.
|
Prison
|
2017
|
2018
|
2019
|
2020
|
2021
|
2022*
|
|
Arbour Hill
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
|
Castlerea
|
85
|
52
|
98
|
33
|
18
|
10
|
|
Cloverhill
|
45
|
148
|
127
|
198
|
328
|
152
|
|
Cork
|
22
|
29
|
27
|
15
|
32
|
14
|
|
Limerick
|
66
|
56
|
50
|
65
|
89
|
43
|
|
Loughan House
|
3
|
2
|
4
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
|
Midlands
|
123
|
127
|
96
|
47
|
30
|
25
|
|
Mountjoy Female Prison
|
7
|
3
|
3
|
1
|
2
|
0
|
|
Mountjoy Male Prison
|
334
|
296
|
228
|
212
|
302
|
154
|
|
Portlaoise
|
19
|
22
|
22
|
8
|
11
|
9
|
|
Shelton Abbey
|
4
|
3
|
0
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
|
Training Unit
|
3
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
|
Wheatfield
|
161
|
224
|
309
|
568
|
557
|
202
|
|
Total
|
872
|
962
|
964
|
1,148
|
1,369
|
609
|
Table 3. Convicted of Possession Of Mobile In Prisons
|
Establishment
|
2011
|
2012
|
2013
|
2014
|
2015
|
2016
|
2017
|
2018
|
2019
|
2020
|
2021
|
Total
|
|
Arbour Hill Prison
|
0
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
|
Castlerea Prison
|
4
|
2
|
1
|
2
|
7
|
0
|
7
|
6
|
11
|
0
|
23
|
63
|
|
Cloverhill Prison
|
1
|
1
|
1
|
2
|
0
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
3
|
3
|
3
|
15
|
|
Cork Prison
|
5
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
4
|
14
|
13
|
5
|
1
|
5
|
48
|
|
Limerick Prison (Female)
|
0
|
1
|
0
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
4
|
|
Limerick Prison (Male)
|
5
|
6
|
2
|
0
|
6
|
7
|
12
|
8
|
15
|
4
|
5
|
70
|
|
Midland Prison
|
3
|
2
|
6
|
2
|
5
|
8
|
11
|
12
|
19
|
18
|
9
|
95
|
|
Mountjoy Prison (Female)
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
|
Mountjoy Prison (Male)
|
6
|
15
|
8
|
5
|
1
|
13
|
26
|
66
|
67
|
38
|
35
|
280
|
|
Portlaoise Prison
|
1
|
3
|
3
|
2
|
3
|
3
|
2
|
4
|
7
|
1
|
4
|
33
|
|
Shelton Abbey Place Of Detention
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
0
|
1
|
|
St. Patricks Institution
|
1
|
2
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
3
|
|
Training Unit Place Of Detention
|
1
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
2
|
|
Wheatfield Prison
|
5
|
0
|
5
|
7
|
0
|
4
|
2
|
5
|
2
|
11
|
39
|
80
|
|
Grand Total
|
32
|
34
|
26
|
21
|
23
|
40
|
75
|
115
|
130
|
77
|
123
|
696
|
696 convictions involving 523 persons
Table 4. Convicted of Supplying Prisoner With Mobile Telecommunications Device.
|
Establishment
|
2012
|
2016
|
2019
|
Total
|
|
Castlerea Prison
|
1
|
0
|
4
|
5
|
|
Limerick Prison (Male)
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
1
|
|
Mountjoy Prison (Female)
|
0
|
1
|
1
|
2
|
|
Grand Total
|
1
|
1
|
6
|
8
|
8 convictions involving 5 persons
Table 5. Convicted of Unlawful Supply Of Controlled Drugs Into Prisons/Places Of Detention
|
Establishment
|
2011
|
2012
|
2013
|
2014
|
2015
|
2016
|
2017
|
2018
|
2019
|
2020
|
2021
|
Total
|
|
Castlerea Prison
|
1
|
2
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
0
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
7
|
|
Cloverhill Remand Prison
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
|
Cork Prison
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
0
|
2
|
2
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
5
|
|
Limerick Prison (Female)
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
|
Limerick Prison (Male)
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
2
|
|
Midlands Prison
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
3
|
0
|
1
|
1
|
0
|
2
|
0
|
1
|
8
|
|
Mountjoy Prison (Female)
|
1
|
1
|
0
|
2
|
3
|
2
|
1
|
0
|
1
|
0
|
1
|
12
|
|
Mountjoy Prison (Male)
|
4
|
5
|
0
|
2
|
2
|
1
|
0
|
1
|
1
|
1
|
1
|
18
|
|
Portlaoise Prison
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
|
St. Patricks Institution
|
0
|
1
|
0
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
2
|
|
Wheatfield Prison
|
0
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
0
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
0
|
4
|
|
Grand Total
|
7
|
10
|
3
|
8
|
10
|
7
|
3
|
2
|
4
|
2
|
5
|
61
|
61 convictions involving 55 persons
Table 6. Convicted of Placing A Controlled Drug In Prisons/Places Of Detention
|
Establishment
|
2011
|
2012
|
2013
|
2014
|
2015
|
2016
|
2021
|
Total
|
|
Castlerea Prison
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
|
Cork Prison
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
1
|
1
|
5
|
0
|
8
|
|
Limerick Prison (Female)
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
|
Limerick Prison (Male)
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
|
Mountjoy Prison (Female)
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
0
|
2
|
0
|
0
|
3
|
|
Mountjoy Prison (Male)
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
1
|
|
St. Patricks Institution
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
|
Wheatfield Prison
|
0
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
|
Grand Total
|
1
|
1
|
3
|
1
|
5
|
5
|
1
|
17
|
17 convictions involving 13 person
Table 7. Convicted Of Throw/Project A Controlled Drug Into A Prison/Children Detention School/Remand Centre With Intent To Commit
|
Establishment
|
2012
|
2019
|
Total
|
|
Cork Prison
|
1
|
0
|
|
Question No. 597 answered with Question No. 596.
