Brendan Griffin (Kerry, Fine Gael)
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402. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the average cost of keeping a prisoner in 2023; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [56190/23]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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I am advised by my officials in the Irish Prison Service that the average cost of keeping a person in prison this year is not yet available but will be included in the 2023 Irish Prison Service Annual Report which will be published in 2024.

The average annual cost of an available, staffed prison space during the calendar year 2022 was €84,067, a 4.6% increase on the 2021 cost of €80,335.

This figure includes all elements of net expenditure incurred by the Irish Prison Service Vote within the year, (such as salaries, utilities/maintenance, ICT, services provided to people in custody including education, healthcare, work training etc.) and excludes capital expenditure on buildings and vehicle purchases.

The main reasons for the increase over the 2021 figure is due to increased variable costs arising from increases in payroll costs as a result of National Wage Agreements, increased numbers in custody and increased capacity.

Brendan Griffin (Kerry, Fine Gael)
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403. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the number of unused cells per prison; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [56191/23]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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I have requested the information sought by the Deputy from the Irish Prison Service. Unfortunately, it has not been possible to collate the information requested in the time allowed. I will write to the Deputy directly when the information is to hand.

Brendan Griffin (Kerry, Fine Gael)
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404. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality her plans for more prison places to keep pace with population growth; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [56192/23]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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As the Deputy will be aware the Irish Prison Service does not have the option of refusing committals and must accept all people committed by the Courts Service. The prison system is under increasing pressure with factors such as ongoing population growth.

I can advise the Deputy that the Irish Prison Service and my Department are committed to providing safe and secure custody for all people committed to prison while ensuring a safe working environment for staff. Officials in the Irish Prison Service and the Department are continuously working to identify short, medium and longer term proposals to help manage the current capacity issues in our prisons.

Where the number of prisoners exceeds the maximum capacity in any prison, my officials in the Irish Prison Service make every effort to deal with this through a combination of inter-prison transfers and structured temporary release. Decisions in relation to temporary release are considered on a case by case basis and the safety of the public is paramount when those decisions are made.

In addition, a Prison Overcrowding Response Group has been established, with officials from across the Department, the Irish Prison Service, Probation Service, Courts Service, and An Garda Síochána. This group is currently examining proposals to address overcrowding.

While focused on rehabilitation and reducing offending, we also need to continue to invest in our prison estate, to ensure that it is modern and fit for purpose and that it has the capacity to accommodate those committed to prison by the courts.

As the Deputy will be aware, the Government has made available significant capital funding to the Irish Prison Service in order to enhance the existing prison infrastructure and to provide additional capacity.

In recent years, works have been completed to modernise the Mountjoy complex, a new prison was constructed in Cork and additional prisoner accommodation was provided in the Midlands Prison.

Furthermore, the Training Unit in Mountjoy was reopened providing an additional 96 spaces and the opening of new male accommodation in Limerick in late 2022 has provided an additional 90 cell spaces. The new standalone female prison in Limerick is now providing an additional 22 female spaces, bringing additional capacity across the estate to in excess of 200 spaces.

In recognition of the increased pressure the prison estate is facing, plans have also been outlined for 4 capital projects at Castlerea, Cloverhill, the Midlands and Mountjoy prisons to deliver a maximum of 620 additional spaces. I am continuing to engage with the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform to progress an agreed schedule of capital builds, including the delivery of additional Prison space.

Brendan Griffin (Kerry, Fine Gael)
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405. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the number of electronic tags currently in use for convicted persons, the locations of these; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [56193/23]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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The Deputy may be aware that electronic monitoring is provided for in the Criminal Justice Act 2006 in respect of people who are on temporary release and people with Restriction of Movement Orders. It is also provided for in the Sex Offenders (Amendment) Act 2023 for a convicted sex offender who is subject to a post-release supervision order or where a sex offender order includes a condition restricting the offender's movement, post release. In addition, the Bail Act 1997, as amended includes provisions for electronic monitoring where appropriate, for those charged with a serious offence or those appealing against a sentence of imprisonment imposed by the District Court and who are admitted to bail on entering into a recognisance setting out the conditions of electronic monitoring.

To date, only the provisions in relation to prisoners on temporary release have been commenced, and following a pilot in 2010, a programme was implemented in 2013 whereby 151 prisoners were electronically monitored. However, electronic tagging is not currently being used due to cost considerations and its limited use.

Having said that, the Deputy may wish to know that a Working Group has been established to inform an approach to the operationalisation of electronic monitoring of offenders. The Group is chaired by the Department of Justice and includes representatives of the Courts Service, the Probation Service, the Irish Prison Service and An Garda Síochána. The Group is due to provide me with an update on its deliberations shortly.

Brendan Griffin (Kerry, Fine Gael)
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406. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the total number of Irish Prison Service personnel for each of the past five years; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [56194/23]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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The allocation of staffing across the Irish Prison Service estate is based on the security and operational needs of each individual prison. The number of staff required is influenced by factors including, in particular, the numbers in custody, category of those in custody and their regimes and a range of other factors, including the risks and needs associated with specific areas and particular offenders.

The Irish Prison Service continually monitors the staffing requirements of, and vacancies that arise in, the organisation and recruitment or promotion campaigns are put in place as required. Vacancies can arise as a result of multiple factors including internal and external mobility, promotions and retirements.

The total number of Irish Prison Service personnel for each the past five years (as at 31 December of each year) and for the current staffing position, as at 30 November 2023, is outlined in the table below.