396. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Justice the number of addiction counsellors employed by the Irish Prison Service, by institution and by year, from 2013 to date. [45176/23]

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

It is estimated that approximately 70% of prisoners who are committed to custody have difficulties associated with addiction to substances. It is the policy of the Prison 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.

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 information requested by the Deputy in respect of the number of MQI Addiction Counsellors by institution is only available from 2016 and is provided in the table below.