Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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Question 284: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the number of juveniles currently incarcerated for offences other than those involving violence against the person or threats of violence against the person; and the number of such juvenile offenders incarcerated between October 2003 and October 2004. [24097/04]

Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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Question 285: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the number of persons currently incarcerated for offences other than those involving violence against the person or threats of violence against the person; and the number of such persons incarcerated between October 2003 and October 2004. [24098/04]

Michael McDowell (Dublin South East, Progressive Democrats)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 284 and 285 together.

There was a total of 3,170 persons in prison custody on 8 October 2004 of which 529 persons were on remand or facing trial. The remainder of the prison population included 1,517 adults and 27 juveniles under the age of 18 years who were serving sentences for what could be classed as "non-violent" offences. As the following table illustrates, there are a significant number of persons serving sentences for offences which, although not necessarily violent in nature, would be regarded as very serious:

The drugs offences category includes unlawful importation of drugs, unlawful possession of drugs and possession of drugs with intent to supply. The road traffic offence category includes crimes such as death by dangerous driving, unauthorised taking and/or carriage in a motor propelled vehicle, careless or dangerous driving, drunken driving, failing to provide samples, no insurance, no driving licence and numerous other offences. Examples of offences included in the other offence category include arson, handling stolen property, larceny, membership of illegal organisations, possession of firearms, possession of knives, intoxication, theft, creating litter, forgery and debtor offences.

While statistics relating to the period referred to by the Deputy are not yet available, he may be interested to note that the Irish Prison Service annual report of 2002 indicated that, during that calendar year, 5,036 persons were committed on sentence to prison custody. Their offences were broken down as follows: