Parliamentary Question: Prison Medical Services

13th February 2001

252. Mr. O'Flynn asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the particular negotiations his Department has entered into for the provision of psychiatric services in the future in Cork Prison. [3917/01]

Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform (Mr. O'Donoghue): A psychiatric service is provided for prisons and places of detention by visiting psychiatrists. Offenders who, in the opinion of the psychiatrist and the prison medical officer, are in need of in-patient psychiatric treatment may be transferred by ministerial order to either the Central Mental Hospital, CMH, or a district mental hospital. In practice, all such transfers occur to the CMH.

My officials in the Department and in the prisons service are working with the Eastern Regional Health Authority to improve the organisation and level of psychiatric input in prisons in the Dublin area. It is envisaged that the improvements in psychiatric care being developed through this dialogue will be extended, where feasible, to prisons within other health board areas.

I established a group to review the structure and organisation of prisons health care services, including psychiatric services. The terms of reference of this group are: to consider and make recommendations regarding the provision of psychiatric services for prisoners, taking into account changes in service provision generally and the potential ramifications of possible new mental health legislation; to consider the appropriate need and level of in-house provision of specialist medical services and make recommendations accordingly; to consider structures for the legal and professionally appropriate control of pharmaceutical products within the prison system; to consider the present organisation of prison dental services and make any appropriate recommendations; to consult with all relevant professional and representative bodies in this connection. The review body is under the chairmanship of Mr. John Olden, a senior member of the Council of Europe Committee for the Prevention of Torture, Inhuman and Degrading Treatment of Persons in Custody. Mr Olden is a former Secretary General of Roinn na Gaeltachta and has a prior record in prisons administration.

The membership of the review group consists of representatives of the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform, Department of Health and Children, Department of Finance, director of prison medical services, a senior prison governor, a nominee of the Irish College of General Practitioners, a nominee of the Royal College of Psychiatry, a nominee of An Bord Altranais, a nominee of the Pharmaceutical Society and a nominee of the Irish Dental Council. As the review is ongoing, it would not be appropriate for me to make any comment on the group's work at this time. I expect to have a report from the group by mid-2001. It is my intention that this report will be published as soon as possible. Any recommendations made by this group in relation to improving prison health care services, including prison psychiatric services, will be treated as a matter of priority by me.