Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 1 May 2024
193. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Justice if her Department has received a copy of the recently published report by Mental Health Reform "Mental health services & supports in prisons: Service Mapping and Reflections from Lived Experiences"; and if she will make an itemised response to each of the recommendations included. [19611/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraI can advise the Deputy that the Mental Health Reform report ‘’Mental Health Services and Supports in Prisons: Service Mapping and Reflections from Lived Experiences’’ was published on Tuesday 23rd April 2024. I welcome this report as does the Irish Prison Service, particularly considering its focus on broader mental health services and supports in prisons.
The Deputy will be aware that our prisons support a large population of people who may not have a psychiatric diagnosis but who nonetheless are significantly impacted by their mental health difficulties, including Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), anxiety related disorders, depression, eating disorders, self-harm, and suicidal ideation, amongst others.
The Irish Prison Service will review this report in the coming months, and as part of the process examine the recommendations made.
As the Deputy may already be aware, there are a number of reports in relation to health and mental health in prisons which have been published relatively recently, including the Irish Prison Service Strategy 2023 – 2027, the Irish Prison Service Drugs Strategy 2023 – 2026, the 2020 Report from the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, the High Level Taskforce on the mental health and addiction challenges of persons interacting with the criminal justice system (2022), the Health Needs Analysis (2022), Sharing the Vision: A Mental Health Policy for Everyone (2020 – 2030), the Inspector of Prisons Thematic Inspection Report on the Provision of Psychiatric Care in the Irish Prison System (2023), Connecting for Life: Ireland’s National Strategy to Reduce Suicide 2015 – 2024, the HSE Model of Care for People with Mental Disorder and Co-existing Substance Use Disorder (Dual Diagnosis; 2023) and the National Drug Strategy.
Some of the recommendations arising from these reports overlap. Some of the recommendations made are already in the process of being implemented, others will be advanced in due course and it may not be possible to accept or advance others for a variety of reasons. The research by Mental Health Reform will be considered alongside this existing body of reports.
The Irish Prison Service are creating an overall action plan which will take account of recommendations from the various reports outlined above. This action plan will be the roadmap over the course of the Irish Prison Service Strategic Plan 2023-2027.
