asked the Minister for Justice the library facilities available for prisoners in Mountjoy Jail; if he will specify in particular the approximate number of books, the range of subjects covered, and the possibility of request for particular books through inter-library loan or the like; and whether he is satisfied that the facilities are up to a satisfactory standard.
Written Answers. - Mountjoy Prison Library Facilities.
77.
The library at Mountjoy Prison currently stocks over 8,000 books, 30 per cent of which are non-fiction. In addition comics, magazines and cassette tapes are available. In the event of a reasonable request from a prisoner for a particular book the librarian, who is attached to Dublin City Library Service, tries, through the usual library channels, to obtain the book for the prisoner.
For some years past my Department has made a grant to Dublin City Library Service which has enabled that service to allocate two librarians to work in the Dublin institutions (Mountjoy and Arbour Hill prisons, The Training Unit and St. Patrick's Institution). In addition a number of prison officers, assigned to work in the libraries, have received special training for that work. I am satisfied that library services at Mountjoy are reasonable.