42. Deputy Mark Ward asked the Minister for Justice the efforts being made to tackle waiting times for addiction services within prisons; the funding that has been allocated to this within the budget; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44103/23]

Helen McEntee, Minister for Justice: The Irish Prison Service provides a health care service for people with addictions in a structured, safe and professional way in line with international best practice. The Prison Service continues to be committed to, and involved with, the National Drugs Strategy in partnership with community colleagues and organisations.

I can advise the Deputy that the Irish Prison Service engages Merchants Quay Ireland (MQI) to provide a prison-based addiction counselling service across the entire Irish Prison Service estate with the exception of Arbour Hill Prison where there is currently no clinical need for such a service. The addiction counselling 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. The service also responds to prisoners in crisis, providing brief emergency interventions when required.

In the larger Prisons, the average waiting period can be up to twelve weeks. However, the Irish Prison Service and MQI continue to prioritise prisoners that are in greatest clinical need. If there are concerns raised following a medical assessment, an individual is prioritised and will be seen as soon as possible. In addition, where waiting lists are high and facilities are available, MQI offers group counselling as an alternative to one-to-one session, to enable access to as many people as possible. MQI also operate a phone-line which is available between 9am and 5pm Monday to Friday, this facility allows prisoners to access counsellors over the phone as necessary and can also make appointments and follow up on issues of concern. This phone line receives an average of 106 calls per week. Furthermore those who are closer to release are prioritised and MQI will identify available services in the community in order to ensure that there is continuity of care.

The Irish Prison Service is currently working closely with MQI to tackle the waiting times across the estate and particularly in Prisons where the waiting times are longer. Innovations include the trialing of a new triage model which should address the waiting list in Cloverhill Prison. MQI will also relocate Addiction Counsellors to sites where the current waiting list is longer and will use third party addiction counsellors on a temporary basis. In addition, the Prison Service continues to invest in video call technology and it is envisaged that there will be an even greater use of video technology to provide support to those in need.

The Irish Prison Service currently allocates in excess of €1million per annum to the addiction counselling service.

It will also be of interest to the Deputy to know that the Prison Service is currently working to update and publish a new “Drug Strategy 2023 – 2026” by the final quarter 2023. This strategy will re-affirm the commitment to working steadfastly to reduce the harm of drug use within the prison population. This strategy will set out practical goals to increase support for security measures to prevent access, education and information programmes to deter trafficking, and promote drug treatment and counselling services in collaboration with government and non-government partners to help tackle the insidious threat posed by illegal drug use and trafficking.

In addition the Irish Prison Service is developing a bespoke, peer-led recovery model to support people in custody who face addiction difficulties. Part of this peer led recovery model will provide for co-occurring difficulties associated with mental health and addiction.