Parliamentary Question: Prison Inspectorate and Privatisation

18th November 2003

402. Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if at any time, in communications with the prison inspectorate, written or otherwise, he or officials of his Department suggested that the prison inspector should investigate private prisons or partially privatised prisons or outsourcing prison services; and if so, the details in this regard including the dates and context. [27310/03]

Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform (Mr. McDowell): The Inspector of Prisons and Places of Detention, Mr Justice Dermot Kinlen, was appointed in April 2002. His terms of reference are as follows: to inspect and report, as the inspector considers appropriate, to the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform on prisons and other places of detention managed on behalf of the Department by the Irish Prison Service; report in particular on conditions in those institutions and on the regimes in place for prisoners and detainees; investigate and report on any specific issue referred to the inspectorate by the Minister; and submit to the Minister an annual report on the activities of the inspectorate.

I can confirm that neither I nor officials from my Department have suggested to the Inspector of Prisons and Places of Detention that he should investigate private prisons or partially privatised prisons or the outsourcing of prison services.