45. Deputy John Deasy asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform  if he will introduce mandatory drug testing for prisoners on admission. [34582/07]

93. Deputy John Deasy asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if he will introduce a compulsory regime of drug testing of prisoners; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34581/07]

Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform (Deputy Brian Lenihan): I propose to take Questions Nos. 45 and 93 together. The Prison Rules 2007, which took effect from 1 October 2007, include specific provision for mandatory drug testing. Mandatory drug testing forms part of the Irish Prisons Service Drugs Policy ‘Keeping Drugs Out of Prisons’ which sets out the steps required to tackle the supply of drugs into prisons, provide adequate treatment services to those who are addicted to drugs and ensure that developments in the prisons were linked into the community. Mandatory drug testing provides information on trends in drug misuse, enables the identification and referral of drug abusers to treatment programmes, enables enhanced focusing of resources and acts as a deterrent to drug misuse. Mandatory drug testing will also serve to provide important information to prison management that will contribute significantly to decision-making in relation to the management of individual prisoners sentences. Mandatory drug testing currently takes place in the Training Unit, St. Patrick’s Institution, Castlerea, Loughan House and Shelton Abbey. All prisoners must be drug free to attend an open centre and the intention is to roll out a programme of testing to the remaining institutions during 2008. Vol. 644 No. 2 Written Answers Thursday, 13 December 2007