382. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Justice if Budget 2025 funding commitments for care and rehabilitation services will be used to address the existing gaps in addiction supports in the Irish prison system. [40198/24]

Helen McEntee, Minister for Justice: I can advise the Deputy that the Irish Prison Service seeks to offer a multi-disciplinary addiction support programme for people in custody. The Irish Prison Service acknowledges that addiction comes in many forms, from drug and / or alcohol addiction and dual diagnosis, through to gambling and other non-substance use addiction-related behaviour.

People in custody have access to a growing range of medical and rehabilitative services, such as methadone substitution treatment, counselling, psychological intervention, peer to peer support programmes, psycho-education and the Treatment and Rehabilitation Programme provided by Merchants Quay Ireland, available in the Medical Unit in Mountjoy Prison. Treatment provided is in line with the National Drug Strategy, the Irish Prison Service Drugs Strategy 2023-2026, the Health Needs Assessment and the High Level Taskforce on the mental health and addiction challenges of persons interacting with the criminal justice system.

The Irish Prison Service spends in excess of €1 million per annum on addiction counselling support. This sum rose to over €1.5 million recently following agreement to support two important collaborations. First is a collaboration between the Irish Prison Service, Recovery Academy, Recovery College and Dublin City University in relation to peer to peer support programmes. Second is a collaboration between University College Cork and the Irish Prison Service in relation to an Addictions Studies educational programme. The Irish Prison Service and Health Service Executive are also seeking to collaborate in relation to a pilot dual diagnosis service in Cork Prison.

Finally, the Deputy may wish to know that the Irish Prison Service has recently employed a national lead to oversee current and future policy and strategy in relation to mental health and addiction in Irish prisons.

The timeline for the spend of any increase in budget for addiction support in prisons will be over the year 2025 and will be agreed by the Irish Prison Service in line with agreed policy, strategy and any funding of new initiatives.