Vol. 572 No. 6
275 Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked the Minister for Health and Children when the service level agreement referred to in the Government's response to the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture originally promised by the end of 2002 will be ready, in view of the committee's recent report on Ireland. [23850/03]
A working group set up under the auspices of the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform recently finalised a draft service level agreement between the Irish Prison Service and the East Coast Area Health Board. The objective of the agreement is to minimise delays in the transfer of mentally ill prisoners to the Central Mental Hospital.
The financial and staffing implications of the draft agreement are currently under consideration in the context of the Estimates process for 2004.
276 Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked the Minister for Health and Children his views on whether suitable mental health facilities will be available to cater for those referred to designated centres under the provisions of the Criminal Law (Insanity) Bill 2002 when enacted, without further worsening provisions for the existing prison population or the overburdened civil mental health services, in view of the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture's recent comments on the Central Mental Hospital. [23851/03]
The implications for the mental health services of the provisions of the Criminal Law (Insanity) Bill, 2002 will be considered upon its enactment, in the context of the overall development of the forensic psychiatric services and the additional resources available at that time.
