275. Deputy Conor Sheehan asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the number of drugs overdoses in the prison system, broken down by prison, between 2020 and 2025 to date, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54121/25]

Jim O'Callaghan, Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration:

I would like to assure the Deputy, that preventing access to contraband into prisons continues to be a high priority for the Irish Prison Service.

It is estimated that up to 70% of the people in custody have addiction issues and the reality is that some of those with active addiction issues may continue their drug-seeking behaviour inside prison, notwithstanding the supports that are available to address their addiction.

The Irish Prison Service provides a health care service for people with addiction issues in a structured, safe and professional way and in line with international best practice. The Irish Prison Service continues to be committed to, and involved with, the National Drugs Strategy.

The Irish Prison Service is always alert to the dangers posed by illicit substances within the prison environment and, as well as using technological, structural, intelligence and more routine operational methods to prevent contraband entering prisons, also engages in awareness campaigns directed at those in custody.

This includes direct clinical engagement with healthcare personnel, the use of the peer to peer Irish Red Cross Community Based Health & First Aid Programmes, the use of the internal TV channel, signage and direct cell drop leaflet campaigns.

In addition to this, the Irish Prison Service in partnership with the HSE and the Irish Red Cross launched a life-saving initiative to combat opioid overdoses among prisoners in August of 2023. This joint initiative focused on raising awareness among prisoners, as well as their family members and friends, about the risk factors leading to opioid overdoses. Central to this initiative is the promotion of naloxone, a drug that can temporarily reverse the effects of an opioid overdose.

The Irish Prison Service published its own Drugs Strategy on 29 November 2023, setting out a series of goals to work towards reducing the harm of substance abuse in a prison environment.

In order to meaningfully tackle the issue of substance abuse in prisons, the Irish Prison Service must work in partnership with all agencies across the criminal justice sector, support agencies that are active in Irish prisons, and relevant community-based organisations to achieve the goals of this strategy together.

In 2024, the Irish Prison Service delivered a programme of both random and intelligence-led operational drug testing for prisoners. The on-site drug testing can detect a range of drugs with instant results supported by secondary laboratory testing where the initial result is inconclusive.

I can also inform the Deputy, that the Irish Prison Service is working in conjunction with the HSE to source further drug testing capability with particular attention on the emerging trend towards the availability of more harmful synthetic drugs.

The Irish Prison Service will continue to research, review and enhance methods to tackle the problem of substance abuse and the prevailing demand for harmful drugs in the prison environment.

The Irish Prison Service also continues to engage with An Garda Síochána at both local and national level with regard to preventing contraband entering our prisons.

There is a free confidential telephone line (1800 855 717) and text line (086 180 2449). People in custody, visitors, staff or members of the public with information on the trafficking of prohibited items into prisons can pass on that information in the strictest confidence.

Prior to August 2024, the Irish Prison Service did not collate data on the number of drug overdoses in the prison system. The attached table outlines the number of drug overdoses since August 2024 to 3 October 2025. The data does not provide medical outcomes.

Table 1: Overdoses by Prison since August 2024 to 3 October 2025.