Léim ar aghaidh chuig an bpríomhábhar
Gnáthamharc

Suicide Incidence.

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 9 November 2004

Tuesday, 9 November 2004

Ceisteanna (161, 162, 163)

Joe Higgins

Ceist:

217 Mr. J. Higgins asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if his attention has been drawn to the findings of the recent inquest into the death of a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28038/04]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Joe Higgins

Ceist:

218 Mr. J. Higgins asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the reason there was no representative from the Irish Embassy at the recent inquest into the death of a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28039/04]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Joe Higgins

Ceist:

220 Mr. J. Higgins asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if the question of Irish deaths in Brixton Prison, south London, will be raised in the context of the task force on emigrants; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28041/04]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

I propose to take Questions Nos. 217, 218 and 220 together.

The person to whom the Deputy refers died on 12 May 2002 at King's College Hospital, having been found hanging in his prison cell while on remand at Brixton Prison on 9 May 2002. The Irish Ambassador in London wrote to the Governor at HMP Brixton on 16 May 2002 to express the Government's deep concern about his death and to request that the Embassy be informed of any developments in relation to the investigation of his death.

It is not the normal practice for a representative from an Irish Embassy to attend inquests into the death of Irish nationals in custody abroad. However, I am aware that, in the report of the inquest into this case on 15 October 2004, the coroner's Office, while concluding that he was suffering from severe depression, highlighted failures in the Prison Service that it felt could have contributed to his death.

The Irish Ambassador has made strong representations to the prison authorities in London following the deaths of a number of men of Irish nationality or of Irish descent, including the person to whom the Deputy refers, between 1998 and 2002 in HMP Brixton. Subsequently, the Governor of HMP Wandsworth was asked to conduct a review of all non-natural deaths in custody in HMP Brixton from 1998 onwards. In March 2003, the review team published its findings, known as the Heavens report.

The report concluded, inter alia, that, in some of these cases, policies and procedures were not properly carried out and that, in some instances, actions were taken that were not in accordance with the prison’s suicide prevention policy. It also noted that there was no evidence to indicate that any of these deaths was as a result of prejudice against the men because of their Irish nationality or descent.

Shortly after the publication of the report, a new prison governor was appointed at Brixton drawn from the Prisons Services Inspectorate. Following the appointment, an officer from the embassy met with the Governor and the Director General of the Prison Services and was assured that both were committed to the implementation of the recommendations of the report. Also since then, the embassy has had regular contacts with the new governor and his staff about the report and the implementation of its recommendations as well as other prison matters.

The Irish Ambassador has also met with the relatives and friends of the men involved to discuss the findings of the report.

Since the report's publication, the embassy has not been notified of any further deaths of Irish citizens in HMP Brixton but I can assure the Deputy that my Department, through the embassy, will continue to monitor the situation closely.

Barr
Roinn