Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 11 April 2017
130. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality if all pregnant women who may be in prison during their pregnancies have access to structured appropriate antenatal care education classes (details supplied). [17961/17]
Amharc ar fhreagra133. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the number of pregnant women that have been cared for in prison for each of the years from 2010 to 2016. [17964/17]
Amharc ar fhreagra134. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality when plans to open the first mother and baby unit, as recommended by Judge Reilly in recommendation 247 of the 2010 inspector's review of standards of care for women prisoners, will be implemented. [17965/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 130, 133 and 134 together.
I am advised by the Irish Prison Service that the level of maternity care provided to women in custody, including ante-natal care, is comparable to that available to women in the community. It is provided on a shared care arrangement between the maternity hospital to which the patient is referred, and the Healthcare Team in the Dóchas Centre.
Pregnant women attend a maternity hospital, and the babies receive the same care from Public Health Nurses as that provided to a baby born outside prison. The Dóchas Centre provides a 24 hour nursing service, and has daily access to a Prison Doctor.
The Irish Prison Service has confirmed that there is a Mother and Baby Unit in the Dóchas Centre. Provision is made in the Dóchas Centre to facilitate new mothers keeping their infants with them so as not to disrupt early bonding. Each mother and child are provided with their own single room with en-suite facilities on their return to the Dóchas Centre after giving birth. Required items such as cot, baby food, nappies, etc are also provided. As there is no mother and baby unit in Limerick Prison, any woman who needs to be accommodated in such a unit is facilitated with a transfer to the Dóchas Centre.
The Irish Prison Service does not record data in the format requested in this question. However, it can confirm the number of children born to women in custody for the years 2010 to date is included in the following table:
|
Year |
Number of babies |
|
2017 |
1 |
|
2016 |
3 |
|
2015 |
0 |
|
2014 |
3 |
|
2013 |
2 |
|
2012 |
0 |
|
2011 |
3 |
|
2010 |
2 |
