Pádraig Mac Lochlainn
Ceist:112 Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if he will commit to ensuring the principle of one prisoner per cell in future prison reform or renovation. [22681/12]
Amharc ar fhreagraTuesday, 8 May 2012
Ceisteanna (63)
Freagraí scríofa
As the Deputy is aware there has been a consistent increase in the total prisoner population in Ireland over recent years. The problem of prison overcrowding therefore remains a challenging issue which unfortunately cannot be resolved overnight.
Given the current number of prisoners in the system — 4,401 on 3rd May 2012 — the Irish Prison Service is not in a position to provide single cell accommodation to all prisoners. Single cell occupancy across the system would result in a bed capacity of less than 3,000 and would not be possible to achieve without releasing sizeable numbers of prisoners considered to represent a threat to public safety.
As the Deputy is aware, on the 30th April I launched the Irish Prison Service 3-Year Strategic Plan for the period 2012-2015. In accordance with this Strategy, it is the intention of the Irish Prison Service, over the coming three years, to seek to align the capacity of our prisons with the guidelines laid down by the Inspector of Prisons, in so far as this is compatible with public safety and the integrity of the criminal justice system.
The Inspector of Prisons recommended capacity for individual prisons is based on single cell occupancy in cells of 7 m2 with in cell sanitation and an additional 4 m2 for each additional prisoner — for example double cell occupancy in an 11 m2 cell, triple cell occupancy in a 15 m2 cell.
It is also the intention of the Irish Prison Service, during the lifetime of the Strategy, to provide in cell sanitation in all remaining areas of the prison estate.