279. Deputy Conor Sheehan asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the number of prisoners being treated for confirmed substance use disorders in Irish prisons between 2020 and 2025, in tabular form, broken down by prison; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54125/25]

Jim O'Callaghan, Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration: I have been advised that, the healthcare records of prisoners in the custody of the Irish Prison Service are recorded on an individual basis on the Prisoner Healthcare Management System (PHMS).

Each individual's record is recorded in a narrative fashion and it is not possible to extract a global report from PHMS to produce a summary of medical conditions or issues for which people have received medical treatment.

However, the Irish Prison Service advise that it is estimated that up to 70% of the people in custody have difficulties associated with substance misuse, and updated research associated with Sharing the Vision will provide more contemporary figures.

The Irish Prison Service provide a health care service for people in custody with addictions in a structured, safe and professional manner 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 for this purpose.

It is the policy of the Irish 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.

People in custody can, as part of the assessment process, discuss other treatment options with healthcare staff and those treatment options may include stabilisation on methadone, maintenance for those who wish to continue on maintenance while in prison, and when they return to the community on release.

The Irish Prison Service engages Merchants Quay Ireland (MQI) to provide a prison-based addiction counselling service across the Irish Prison Service estate (with the exception of Arbour Hill Prison and the Training Unit where the clinical need is currently under review).

This includes provision of counselling and intervention skills related to substance misuse and dependency such as motivational interviewing and enhancement therapy, a twelve step facilitation programme, cognitive behavioural therapy and harm reduction approaches. People in custody are offered one to one counselling and group work interventions.

The Irish Prison Service also works closely with Narcotics Anonymous who provide support to people in custody.

The Irish Prison Service is also in the process of providing additional supports to prisoners with addiction and mental health difficulties, including the 'Recovery College' model which provides education, training and workshops, and the introduction of an Addiction Studies course.

“Sharing the Vision” Ireland’s 2020-2030 national mental health policy further supports meeting the needs of complex prisoners, by mandating that enhanced, tiered mental health supports be provided in the Irish prison system. This is being progressed through partnership with the HSE and the Irish Prison Service and includes developments such as the Justice Workstream to integrate mental health support and the expansion of the Central Mental Hospital, collaborative research and the implementation of plans to improve services.