Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 13 July 2023
544. Deputy Mark Ward asked the Minister for Justice the services that are available to those within the prison population to help further their education; the services available to those who are released for same; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35344/23]
View answerI can advise the Deputy that the Irish Prison Service provides a wide range of rehabilitative programmes to those in custody to help further their education. These programmes 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 these services.
The Department of Education provides an allocation of 220 whole time teacher equivalents to the Irish Prison Service through the Education and Training Boards. Education in prisons is delivered with a focus on providing education which is quality assured, student centred and which facilitates lifelong learning. In general education programmes are adapted to take account of the diversity of the prisoner population and the complex nature of prison life, including segregation requirements and high levels of prisoner turnover. The partnership endeavours to meet the needs of prisoners through helping them cope with their sentence, achieve personal development and prepare for life after release. The Irish Prison Service also supports Open University provision and linkages with other Higher Education providers.
I can further advise the Deputy that the Prison Education Taskforce was established on 23 May 2023 and is jointly chaired by the Minister of Further Education and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science and the Minister of State with responsibility for Law Reform in the Department of Justice. The aim of the Taskforce is to ensure improvements in the work and training area and greater alignment between prison education and the tertiary education system to support prisoners in benefiting from education and training opportunities while in custody to support their rehabilitation and access to employment post - release.
Further, the Irish Prison Service is in the process of developing its 2023 - 2025 Strategic Plan. Central to this strategy will be building on the lessons learned over the past number of years and further developing the new modalities of learning that have been introduced, including a move away from classroom only learning and adopting a blended approach to the delivery of education. By harnessing new technologies and methods for the delivery of educational content, the Irish Prison Service can ensure that prisoners are facilitated in continuing their learning beyond scheduled classes and extend the delivery of education and training provision to people in their care.
The Deputy may also be aware that in early 2022 the new €100,000 KickStart Scholarship Fund aimed at supporting people with a criminal justice history who are experiencing socio-economic disadvantage to access Higher Education (HEI) was unveiled as part of the Unlocking Potential Project Launch at Maynooth University. The Fund was established with the support of the Irish Prison Service and aims to reduce socio-economic barriers faced by people with existing criminal convictions who are seeking to make positive change in their lives and access third level education. The scholarships are financed via the Dormant Accounts Fund and form part of the Department of Justice's Working to Change strategy aimed at increasing access to employment opportunities for people with criminal convictions.
