Parliamentary Question: Prison Drug Treatment Services

22nd February 2007

 65. Mr. Callely asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform  the level of funding that has been allocated for methadone maintenance programmes and other such treatments and programmes for drug addicts in the Prison Services; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6760/07]

Tánaiste and Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform (Mr. McDowell): The Irish Prison Service expended almost €3 million excluding staff costs on the provision of medical services to the prisoner population in 2005 but it is not possible to disaggregate, with any degree of accuracy, from this total, the element that related solely to the treatment of prisoners with drug problems.

The new Irish Prison Service Drugs Policy & Strategy - Keeping Drugs Out of Prisons - will see existing drug treatment programmes, including the provision of methadone maintenance programmes where this is clinically indicated, being expanded and enhanced. This expansion will involve the allocation of a range of dedicated staff, including addiction counsellors, to support these various programmes. In 2007 it is envisaged that an extra €2,000,000 will be allocated to support these developments.

My Department funds sixty five Community based Projects that support the work of the Probation Service in the management of offenders both in the Community and in Prisons. These Projects which are made up of community groups and voluntary bodies provide a range of services to offenders in local communities and in prisons, e.g. offender management programmes, drug and alcohol abuse treatment / intervention / awareness programmes, training and education. While the emphasis of each Project varies, the overall objective of the funded programmes and facilities is to assist the reintegration of the offender into their community by addressing specific issues such as subsistence awareness / misuse and to thereby reduce his/her risk of re-offending. In 2007, I have provided a total €2.216m in the Probation Service budget allocation specifically for projects which cater for substance misuse, treatment and/or aftercare for offenders.