Written Answers. - Parliamentary Debates - Houses of the Oireachtas

[Deputy Alan Shatter.]
Questions— 14 February 2012. Written Answers
Prison Complex Nurse Chief Nurse Officers Nurse Officer Medical Orderly
Managers
Cloverhill 1* 1 17
Cork 1 4 2
Dóchas 1 6 1
Limerick 1 4 2
Loughan 2
Midlands 1** 1 14
Mountjoy 1*** 1 24 2
Portlaoise 1 7
Shelton 2
St. Pat’s 1 6 2
Training Unit 1
Wheatfield 1 11 1
Total 3 11 111.5 10
*Complex Nurse Manager covering Wheatfield and Cloverhill Prisons
**Complex Nurse Manager covering Portlaoise and Midlands Prisons.
***Complex Nurse Manager covering Mountjoy/St. Patrick’s Institution/Dóchas and the Training Unit.
497. Deputy Jonathan O’Brien asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of
prison medical staff who have retired this month. [7765/12]
Minister for Justice and Equality (Deputy Alan Shatter): I have been advised by the Irish
Prison Service that one nurse officer intends to retire with effect from 28 February, 2012.
Prison Drug Treatment Services
498. Deputy Jonathan O’Brien asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of
prisoners on waiting lists for drug treatment programmes and the average waiting list time.
[7766/12]
Minister for Justice and Equality (Deputy Alan Shatter): Given the large number of prisoners
requiring drug treatment services, the Irish Prison Service endeavours to provide a comprehensive
range of services. Drug rehabilitation programmes for prisoners involve a significant multidimensional
input by a diverse range of general and specialist services provided both by the
Irish Prison Service and visiting statutory and non-statutory organisations. 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 to offer a medically assisted symptomatic detoxification, if clinically
indicated. Patients can, as part of the assessment process, discuss with healthcare staff
other treatment options, which may include stabilisation on methadone maintenance for persons
who wish to continue on maintenance, while in prison and when they return to the community
on release.
Merchants Quay Ireland are contracted to provide addiction counselling services in those
prisons and deliver approximately 1,500 prisoner contacts per month. The service is delivered
by 21 counsellors. There were 2,792 referrals to the service in 2011. There are currently approximately
290 on waiting lists across the system awaiting assessment and treatment. All those
referred are assessed initially by a counsellor to identify the person’s addiction and agree a
treatment plan.
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