Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Wednesday, 30 Jan 2002

Vol. 547 No. 1

Written Answers. - Prison Visitors Centres.

Brian Hayes

Ceist:

922 Mr. B. Hayes asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if he will make a statement regarding the level of funding provided by his Department for various programmes organised by NGOs in Portlaoise, Clover Hill remand and Mountjoy prisons in respect of providing help and support for the families of prisoners; if such programmes have been jeopardised as a result of lack of funding from his Department; if he has satisfied himself that the NGOs in question have managed the funding to date in an accountable way; and his plans to increase such programmes in the mentioned prisons. [1270/02]

Seán Haughey

Ceist:

939 Mr. Haughey asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if adequate funding will be provided for the Mountjoy visitors centre, Dublin; his views on whether this is an important service for prisoners and their families; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1491/02]

Róisín Shortall

Ceist:

1021 Ms Shortall asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the reasons funding has not been made available to St. Vincent de Paul for the running of child care services in the visitors centre in Mountjoy Prison; if he will make the necessary funding available immediately; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2624/02]

Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform (Mr. O'Donoghue)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 922, 939 and 1021 together.

The Society of St. Vincent de Paul and the Religious Society of Friends jointly manage, on behalf of the Prison Service, visitors centres which are attached to a number of prisons. Their work is in support of prisoners' families as they wait to meet the prisoner in the relevant prison.

The Prison Service fully recognises the work being undertaken at the visitors centres. In that context the following support was or is being provided from official funds as follows:

2000	£250,862.00
2001	£395,948.00 (the original amount granted was £275,848)
2002	571,382.13 (£450,000)

The Deputies will appreciate that, from the above sums, sizeable amounts of money have been and continue to be made available to manage the visitors centres. However, there is a need to ensure that these centres are managed properly within agreed budgets. The purpose of these centres is to provide refreshments, a child minding service during the course of visits and limited counselling services for prisoners' families.

I understand that the Society of St. Vincent de Paul and the Religious Society of Friends are currently reviewing their operations at these centres from a financial-management control perspective. The Prison Service is financially contributing towards the costs of that review.