223. Deputy Patricia Ryan asked the Minister for Justice the addiction supports available to prisoners in each prison; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23629/22] 

Helen McEntee, Minister for Justice: I can advise the Deputy that the Irish Prison Service have a range of programmes, support services and through-care options for prisoners who wish to address their substance misuse. 

The Prison Service advise me that approximately 70% of prisoners who are committed to custody have addiction issues. It is the policy of the Service that, where a person committed to prison gives a history of opiate use and tests positive for opioids, they are offered a medically assisted, symptomatic detoxification, if clinically indicated. 

Patients can, as part of the assessment process, discuss other treatment options with healthcare staff; those treatment options may include stabilisation on methadone maintenance for persons who wish to continue on maintenance while in prison, and when they return to the community on release. I am further advised that while drug treatment services are provided in all closed prisons, the same type of programmes are not offered in open prisons as a condition of transfer to an open prison is that the prisoner is drug free. 

I am further informed that the Irish Prison Service engages Merchants Quay Ireland (MQI) to provide a prison-based addiction counselling service. This service includes structured assessments and evidence-based counselling interventions, with clearly-defined treatment plans and goals. 

The MQI service provides a range of counselling and intervention skills related to substance misuse and dependency. These skills include, motivational interviewing and enhancement therapy, a twelve step facilitation programme, cognitive behavioural therapy and harm reduction approaches. Prisoners are offered one to one counselling and group work interventions. 

MQI counsellors work to address presenting issues and to explore the underlying reasons for drug use and how this impacts on the prisoner and wider community. 

In addition the Prison Service previously operated a National Drug Treatment Programme, which was located within the Medical Unit of Mountjoy Prison. This was an eight week programme that allowed prisoners to complete a methadone detoxification and engage in structured group work interventions which were provided by Coolmine, Ballymun Youth Action Project, Ana Liffey Drug Project and MQI. There were nine places available on this programme and any prisoner who wished to detoxify and address issues with addiction could seek admission to the programme. The programme included daily group work along with educational and fitness activities and prisoners were seen by an addiction counsellor for a weekly session. 

While the Programme was suspended on foot of the pandemic, it has been comprehensively reviewed and updated and it is expected that a new programme will be put in place in the near future. 

In line with the National Drug Strategy, the Prison Service has an agreed protocol with the HSE for the seamless transition of prisoners engaging in drug treatment while in custody to community drug treatment settings. 

While drug treatment services are provided in all closed prisons, the same type of programmes are not offered in open prisons as a condition of transfer to an open prison is that the prisoner is drug free. However, counselling sessions provided by Merchants Quay Ireland (MQI) are available in open prisons as is Narcotics Anonymous which is prisoner lead and community linked. 

The Prison Service advise me that approximately 70% of prisoners who are committed to custody have addiction issues. It is the policy of the Service that, where a person committed to prison gives a history of opiate use and tests positive for opioids, they are offered a medically assisted, symptomatic detoxification, if clinically indicated. 

Patients can, as part of the assessment process, discuss other treatment options with healthcare staff; those treatment options may include stabilisation on methadone maintenance for persons who wish to continue on maintenance while in prison, and when they return to the community on release. 

I am further informed that the Prison Service engages Merchants Quay Ireland (MQI) to provide a prison-based addiction counselling service. This service includes structured assessments and evidence-based counselling interventions, with clearly-defined treatment plans and goals. 

The MQI service provides a range of counselling and intervention skills related to substance misuse and dependency. These skills include, motivational interviewing and enhancement therapy, a twelve step facilitation programme, cognitive behavioural therapy and harm reduction approaches. Prisoners are offered one to one counselling and group work interventions. 

MQI counsellors work to address presenting issues and to explore the underlying reasons for drug use and how this impacts on the prisoner and wider community. 

In addition the Prison Service previously operated a National Drug Treatment Programme, which was located within the Medical Unit of Mountjoy Prison. This was an eight week programme that allowed prisoners to complete a methadone detoxification and engage in structured group work interventions which were provided by Coolmine, Ballymun Youth Action Project, Ana Liffey Drug Project and MQI. There were nine places available on this programme and any prisoner who wished to detoxify and address issues with addiction could seek admission to the programme. The programme included daily group work along with educational and fitness activities and prisoners were seen by an addiction counsellor for a weekly session. 

While the Programme was suspended on foot of the pandemic, it has been comprehensively reviewed and updated and it is expected that a new programme will be put in place in the near future. 

In line with the National Drug Strategy, the Prison Service has an agreed protocol with the HSE for the seamless transition of prisoners engaging in drug treatment while in custody to community drug treatment settings.