Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 25 January 2024
290. Deputy Mark Ward asked the Minister for Justice the number of people in prison who were on waiting lists to access to psychology services as of early 2024; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3411/24]
View answerThe Irish Prison Psychology Service provides an integrated service to people in custody. Specifically, this means the Psychology Service is responsible for both mental health and criminogenic (offence related) assessment and interventions. Irish Prison Service Psychologists are qualified mental health practitioners and the largest body of mental health professionals employed directly by the Irish Prison Service.
The Psychology Service works primarily through a layered care model, providing primary, secondary and tertiary level mental health care to people in custody. A layered care model provides clients with access to a variety of responses, from minimal interventions such as whole population approaches with the Red Cross and primary care mental health interventions, to more specialist mental health and personality disorder treatments. A layered care model is slightly different to a stepped care model in that it recognises that many people require a variety of interventions at different intensities to meet their needs and enables clinicians and clients to construct their own individual treatment package.
Referrals include: mood and anxiety disorders; neurotic and stress related disorders; disorders of personality and behaviour; Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) including complex PTSD; self-harm and suicidal behaviour; substance use; eating disorders; psychosis and schizophrenia; addiction; dementias; cognitive decline traumatic brain injuries; impulse disorders, and disorders of sexual preference. In addition, the Service works with people presenting with intellectual disorders and difficulties, disorders of psychological development, for example, Autistic Spectrum Disorders (ASD), and behavioural and emotional disorders with onset in childhood e.g. attention deficit (e.g. ADHD, conduct disorders, attachment disorders).
I am advised by the Irish Prison Service that in January 2024 there were 1,804 people in custody on the waiting list for psychology services.
The Prison Service also collaborate with the National Forensic Mental Health Service (NFMHS) to ensure the appropriate provision of psychiatric services to those in custody with a psychiatric diagnosis such as schizophrenia, psychosis and major mood disorder in all closed prisons.
The NFMHS has advised that its caseload is circa 350 patients who are ordinarily in the custody of the Prison Service, approximately 7% of the total prison population.
A waiting list for the admission of prisoners to the CMH is operated by the NFMHS and is reviewed on a weekly basis. Over the last three years, the number of prisoners on the waiting list has varied between 15-25 patients. It should be noted that all prisoners placed by NFMHS consultants on the waiting list have been clinically assessed as warranting admission to the CMH, which is a tertiary care facility.
I can also advise the Deputy that Budget 2023 provided additional dedicated funding of €970K to increase the number of psychologists employed by the Irish Prison Service. This has led to new psychology posts being identified from the funding provided, including 1 WTE Principal Specialist Psychologist, 2 WTE Senior Psychologists and 7.4 WTE Staff Grade Psychologists.
A competition was held in September 2023 and a panel is in place with assignments now been made. The WTE Principal Specialist Psychologist role remains vacant, but has been filled by an Acting up post by way of an Expression of Interest. The 2 WTE Senior Psychologists and 4.4 WTE Staff Grade Psychologist posts have been filled.
Budget 2024 provides an additional circa €27 million for the Irish Prisons Service. This includes approximately €9m in staffing to provide for increased pay roll costs, recruitment of staff, and for 65,000 additional hours to deal with current pressures.
