Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 4 October 2023
170. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Justice if she will ensure that a person (details supplied) is permitted to attend their placement on an ARAS drug treatment course, given that the person is two years drug free and eager to attend the drug treatment course. [43029/23]
View answerI am informed by my officials in the Irish Prison Service that the prisoner referred to has approximately 2 years left to serve on his current sentence and early release is not being considered at present. His case will be kept under review and all options will be considered at the appropriate stage of his sentence.
By way of general information the Deputy will wish to be aware that the Irish Prison Service provides a health care service for prisoners with addictions in a structured, safe and professional basis in line with international best practice. The Irish Prison Service continues to be committed to, and involved with, the National Drugs Strategy in partnership with community colleagues and organisations.It is the policy of the Irish Prison Service that, where a person committed to prison gives a history of opiate use and tests positive for opioids, they are offered a medically assisted, symptomatic detoxification, if clinically indicated.Patients can, as part of the assessment process, discuss other treatment options with healthcare staff; those treatment options may include stabilisation on methadone maintenance for persons who wish to continue on maintenance while in prison, and when they return to the community on release.
I can further advise the Deputy that, the Irish Prison Service engages Merchants Quay Ireland (MQI) to provide a prison-based addiction counselling service across the entire Irish Prison Service estate with the exception of Arbour Hill Prison where there is no clinical need for such a service in that prison. The addiction counselling service includes structured assessments and evidence-based counselling interventions, with clearly-defined treatment plans and goals.
The MQI service provides a range of counselling and intervention skills related to substance misuse and dependency. These skills include, motivational interviewing and enhancement therapy, a twelve step facilitation programme, cognitive behavioural therapy and harm reduction approaches. Prisoners are offered one to one counselling and group work interventions.
