Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 7 October 2009
285 Deputy Charles Flanagan asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the number of prisoners convicted of possessing, using or supplying a mobile telecommunications device in prison in 2008 and to date in 2009; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34727/09]
Amharc ar fhreagraStatistics in relation to court convictions is a matter for the Courts Service, which under the Courts Service Act, 1998 is independent in the performance of its functions.
Section 36 of the Prisons Act 2007, which was brought into operation on 1 May, 2007, makes it an offence for prisoners to have unauthorised possession of or use of mobile telecommunication devices. Under the Act it is also an offence to supply such a device to a prisoner. The penalties for such an offence, on summary conviction, include a fine not exceeding €5,000 or imprisonment for a term not exceeding 12 months or both, and on conviction on indictment, to a fine not exceeding €10,000 or imprisonment for a term not exceeding 5 years or both. It is Irish Prison Service policy to report and hand over seizures of mobile phones to the Gardaí.
Since the inception of the legislation 65 people have received prison sentences arising from committing this offence. On 25th September, 2009, (the latest date for which statistics of this nature are currently available from the Irish Prison Service) there were 7 people serving custodial sentences for this offence.
Cell and area searches for contraband such as mobile phones take place in all prisons on a daily basis. These include random, targeted and intelligence led searches. These searches have been particularly effective and local intelligence indicates that the availability of mobile phones has decreased across the prison system. Details of mobile seizures are set out in the table below and it is important to note that a large percentage of these seizures are not directly from prisoners but are instead retrieved at entry point or before they get to the prisoner population. This is as a direct consequence of newly introduced security measures. Airport style scanners and x-ray machines are in operation at the entrances of all the relevant closed prisons. Details of mobile seizures for 2008 and recent figures for 2009 are set out in the table below.
|
Prison/Place of Detention |
2008 |
2009 (to 31 August 2009) |
|
Arbour Hill |
3 |
2 |
|
Castlerea |
106 |
58 |
|
Cloverhill |
128 |
31 |
|
Cork |
64 |
33 |
|
Dóchas Centre |
55 |
37 |
|
Limerick |
292 |
267 |
|
Loughan House |
58 |
51 |
|
Midlands |
136 |
62 |
|
Mountjoy (Male) |
580 |
680 |
|
Portlaoise |
41 |
103 |
|
Shelton Abbey |
72 |
41 |
|
St. Patrick’s Institution |
160 |
65 |
|
Training Unit |
120 |
89 |
|
Wheatfield |
232 |
166 |
|
Total |
2,047 |
1,685 |
