Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 15 February 2023
136. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Justice his plans for the Office of the Inspector of Prisons to reassess operational maximum capacity levels and safe custody levels in all prisons based on applicable human rights frameworks; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7456/23]
View answerThe Office of the Inspector of Prisons is a statutory body, set up under the Prisons Act 2007. In accordance with section 30 of the Prisons Act the Inspector of Prisons is independent in the performance of their functions. The Inspector's key role is to carry out regular inspections of prisons and I can advise the Deputy that I have spoken directly to the Inspector of Prisons about his concerns relating to overcrowding in prisons.
As the Deputy will also be aware, the Prison Service must accept all prisoners committed by the Courts. As such the Irish Prison Service has no control over the numbers committed to custody at any given time, and the prison system is, of course, subject to peaks and troughs.
Where the number of prisoners exceeds the maximum capacity in any prison, Irish Prison Service officials make every effort to deal with this through a combination of inter-prison transfers and structured Temporary Release. Decisions in relation to temporary release are considered on a case by case basis and the safety of the public is paramount when those decisions are made.
Further, I can advise the Deputy that my Department continues to work closely with the Director General of the Irish Prison Service to identify what steps need to be taken to maintain a safe working environment for staff and the safety and security of people in custody.
The Government has provided significant capital funding to the Irish Prison Service in order to enhance the existing prison infrastructure. The commissioning of a new male and female prison accommodation in Limerick Prison will provide an additional 90 male spaces and 22 additional female cell spaces. This new male accommodation is now partially open and the female accommodation is expected to become operational in the first quarter of 2023 subject to the necessary staff resources.
The Programme for Government 2020 contains a broad range of policies and proposals that represent a coherent approach to enhancing and sustaining a more just and safe society, with a specific commitment to review policy options for prison and penal reform. In respect of delivering on this commitment, the Government recently approved the Review of Policy Options for Prison and Penal Reform 2022-2024.
This review seeks to find the balance between ensuring that people who commit serious crimes receive a punishment and a period of incarceration proportionate to that crime, while at the same time acknowledging that sometimes community based sanctions are more appropriate in diverting offenders away from future criminal activity.
In addition to delivering the recommendations of the Review of Policy Options for Prison and Penal Reform, the need to ensure the continued availability of modern prison facilities with adequate capacity will continue to be central to the work of the Irish Prison Service and will be core to the development of the new Irish Prison Service Capital Plan.
