I can advise the Deputy that for security and operational reasons, the Irish Prison Service is not in a position to provide a breakdown of the staff resources allocated to individual prisons. The allocation of staffing across the prison estate is based on the security and operational needs of each individual prison. The number of staff required is influenced by factors including, in particular, the numbers in custody, category of prisoner and regimes and a range of other factors, including the risks and needs associated with specific areas and particular offenders.
The Irish Prison Service continually monitors the staffing requirements of, and vacancies that arise in, the organisation and recruitment campaigns are put in place as required. Vacancies can arise as a result of multiple factors including internal and external mobility, promotions and retirements.
The recruitment of Recruit Prison Officers by the Service has been ongoing since 2017, a total of 716 Recruit Prison Officers were recruited during the period 2017 to 2021 and it is anticipated there will be a total of 151 Recruit Prison Officers recruited by the end of 2022. The transfer of Officers across the Irish Prison Service estate and the assignment of Recruit Prison Officers to a location is based on the service needs of each particular location.
I can further advise the Deputy that the Irish Prison Service is currently engaged with the Public Appointments Service and has recently launched the fifth Recruit Prison Officer Recruitment campaign since 2016.
The Deputy will be aware a decision was taken to temporarily close the Training Unit in Mountjoy in 2017 in order to repurpose for use as a facility for older prisoners and the staff assigned to the Training Unit at the time were reassigned to prisons across the prison estate, including Mountjoy. The Irish Prison Service reopened the Training Unit as a facility for older prisoners on 17th July 2022, and the required level of staff were redeployed from prisons across the estate.
In respect of the Training Unit the number of staff transferred is proportionate to the number of prisoners accommodated there, the transfer of staff to the Training Unit will be commensurate with the level of prisoner transfers.
The information requested by the Deputy in respect of the number of prisoners housed in Mountjoy Prison is provided in the table below.
Average Number of Prisoners in Custody in Mountjoy Prison for the period 2013 to 31
st
July 2022
|
-
|
Mountjoy Male
|
|
Year 2022 (up to and including 08/09/2022)
|
708
|
|
Year 2021
|
691
|
|
Year 2020
|
667
|
|
Year 2019
|
684
|
|
Year 2018
|
679
|
|
Year 2017
|
563
|
|
Year 2016
|
515
|
|
Year 2015
|
537
|
|
Year 2014
|
556
|
|
Year 2013
|
537
|
