951. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Justice the number of persons currently incarcerated due to drug-related offences or addiction-related issues, per prison, in tabular form. [46483/24]

Helen McEntee, Minister for Justice: As the Deputy may already know, it is estimated that up to 70% of the prisoner population have addiction issues.

The Irish Prison Service aims to provide a health care service for prisoners with addictions in a structured, safe and professional way in line with international best practice. The IPS continues to be committed to, and involved with, the National Drugs Strategy in partnership with its community colleagues and organisations. In 2023, the Irish Prison Service published its own Drugs Strategy with three pillars which aim to Inform & Educate, Detect & Reduce and Support & Treat. In addition, the Irish Prison Service recruited a National Clinical Lead for Mental Health and Addiction in Q2 of 2024.

The Irish Prison Service spends in excess of €1m per annum on the provision of an addiction-counselling service in Irish prisons. This service is supplied by Merchants Quay Ireland (MQI), who provide a prison-based addiction-counselling service across the entire Irish Prison Service estate with the exception of Arbour Hill Prison and the Training Unit, where there is currently no clinical need for such a service. However, this is being reviewed.

I can inform the Deputy that the Irish Prison Service have provided figures in Table 1 of the 443 individuals under sentence for Controlled Drug Offences on 31 December 2024.

While addiction-related issues are a significant factor that contribute to criminal activity, the Irish Prison Service does not hold centralised data in respect of the contributory factors that led to an individual’s offence or imprisonment.

Table 1

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Dáil Éireann debate. Question 954 – Prison service [46486/24]

954. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Justice what mental health and addiction treatment services are available in prisons; and the measures necessary to ensure they are effective. [46486/24]

Helen McEntee, Minister for Justice: As the Deputy will be aware, the Irish Prison Service aims to provide safe and secure custody, dignity of care, and rehabilitation to prisoners for safer communities and to provide healthcare and psychological services on an equivalent basis to what is available to those eligible for General Medical Scheme services in the community.

The Irish prison population is currently in excess of 5,000 people, many of whom experience a broad range of primary, secondary and tertiary care mental health/psychological needs. 

The Irish Prison Service multidisciplinary team working directly with the mental health needs of people in custody is made up of the Irish Prison Services Primary Healthcare team and Psychological Service as well as in-reach mental health services, provided by the HSE’s National Forensic Mental Health Service. The latter involves the provision of weekly forensic mental health sessions led by consultant forensic psychiatrists, supported by non-consultant hospital doctors, community psychiatric nurses, and social workers.

The Irish Prison Service Strategic Plan 2023-2027 and Drugs Strategy 2023-2026 both represent a collective commitment to the well-being, rehabilitation and safety of both prisoners and staff. 

The Deputy may also be aware that the Health Needs Assessment for the Irish Prison Service was published in May 2023. This was the first comprehensive health assessment undertaken for the prison service. On foot of the recommendations, the Irish Prison Service has recruited a Clinical Lead for Mental Health and Addiction.

This appointment is especially important as the clinical lead is dedicated to developing the care and services available within prisons and liaising with community services to ensure continuity of care.

The High Level Task Force (HLTF) on Mental Health and Addiction published their final report in September 2022. The report identified where further improvements can be implemented in order to enhance the treatment available to those with mental health and addiction difficulties within the criminal justice system.

It outlined 61 recommendations to be implemented over a five-year period from the time of publication of the final report. The First Annual Progress Report of the HLTF was published in February 2024 covering September 2022–September 2023.

The most recent key developments include the launch of the Community Access Support Team (CAST) pilot project in Limerick and the roll-out of Mental Health First Aid training for An Garda Síochána members on a national level. CAST is a partnership pilot between An Garda Síochána and the Mental Health Services (MHS), the HSE and Mid-West Community Healthcare.

The pilot endeavours to establish an appropriate co-response approach to calls relating to mental health and situational trauma. Work remains ongoing to monitor and further progress the recommendations of the HLTF.

All people committed to prison are subject to a comprehensive medical assessment by the Prison Healthcare Team, which includes a mental health assessment. The information provided as part of this process is recorded on the person’s individual medical record on the Prison Healthcare Management System (PHMS).  This information allows for the development of an individual healthcare plan for the prisoner while in custody.

Where necessary, the person is referred to a forensic clinician or IPS psychologist or both. Medical and/or psychological treatment is provided as clinically indicated.

The Irish Prison Service Psychology Service take a lead role in relation to mental health assessment for the purposes of group or individual talking therapy interventions. They also provide offence related (criminogenic) assessment and intervention (which frequently includes mental health, addiction and trauma related factors).

The Irish Prison Service via its contracted delivery partner Merchants Quay Ireland delivers addiction counselling and support. There are 20 authorised addiction counsellor posts, supporting individual and group work across the prison estate. As of July 2024, over 600 prisoners were engaged in addiction counselling, with more than 800 awaiting access to these services.

As of 3 January 2025, the number of people on the waiting list to be seen by a psychologist is approximately 2,078 people, and there are 524 people on the Psychology Service caseload.

Typically, approximately 1,400 people are referred to the service annually. By the end of 2024, 546 people had been seen by a psychologist specifically for a mental health referral, 149 people were seen within 12 weeks and 397 people were seen within over 24 weeks.

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Dáil Éireann debate. Question 958 – Prison service [46566/24]

958. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Justice further to Parliamentary Question No. 1156 of 9 September 2024, to provide an update on each of the 12 actions and works she approved to implement the report of the Prison Overcrowding Response Group; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [46566/24]

Helen McEntee, Minister for Justice: As the Deputy will be aware, I established a Prison Overcrowding Response Group (PORG) in 2023 to develop proposed actions to address the problem of Irish prisons operating above capacity. The Group comprises representatives from the Department of Justice, An Garda Síochána, the Irish Prison Service, the Probation Service, and the Courts Service. In 2024, the Group presented its report to me and 12 actions were approved for implementation.

Two actions, concerning a new structured temporary release for women and the establishment of a specialised Probation Service response for scaling, have been combined and a pilot scheme has been established targeting women serving custodial sentences of 18 months or less in Limerick’s Women’s Prison.

An amended agreement has been put in place regarding delegated authority to grant temporary release, with an assessment to be commenced after six months of operation.

The Probation Service has been actively engaging with the Judiciary regarding a number of actions related to Community Service Orders (CSOs), and work to amend legislation to increase the limit of CSO hours is being progressed. Work on legislative amendments regarding ineligibility for temporary release for those serving minimum sentences is also underway. A policy review of the Criminal Justice (Community Sanctions) Bill 2014 has been completed and will be brought to Government shortly.

An evaluation of the Dublin Drug Treatment Court, in accordance with the National Drugs Strategy, is a key priority for the Department, which remains strongly engaged and committed to advancing this initiative in 2025. The outcomes of the evaluation will inform recommendations regarding the future direction of Drug Treatment Courts across the country. Plans are in progress to engage with stakeholders around bail and the committal process and a detailed policy paper is currently under preparation in respect of post-release supervision.

In addition, and to further consider future prison capacity needs, a new Working Group was established, the Future Prison Capacity Working Group. This group has been examining the capacity requirements of the prison system out to 2035. An initial report of this group is expected shortly.