Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 30 September 2010
224 Deputy Ciarán Lynch asked the Minister for Justice and Law Reform the average expenditure per prisoner in 2009 to include public funds from all sources; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34176/10]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe information sought by the Deputy in relation to costs paid for from my Department's budget are as follows: The average cost of an available, staffed prison space during the calendar year 2009 was €77,222 (€92,717 in 2008), a decrease on the 2008 cost of €15,495 or 16.7%. The decrease in average cost is attributed to the following two factors:
a decrease in total costs of €17.7 million (of which €15.5 million relates to pay costs); and
an increase in bed capacity of 495 from 3,611 as at 31st December 2008 to 4,106 as at 31st December 2009.
Consistent with calculations in previous years, costs which are not under the direct control of the Irish Prison Service have been excluded. Therefore, the teachers' salary costs are excluded from this exercise as these costs are not provided for under the Prisons budget allocation. Similarly, capital expenditure, including building/equipment assets and small works, is excluded from the calculations in the interest of facilitating comparison between prison types
