Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 17 September 2025
935. Deputy Ivana Bacik asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the number of reported sexual assaults in Irish prisons, by prison and location of the reported assault in each prison such as cell, yard, landing, workshop, for each year 2022 to 2024 and to date in 2025, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49012/25]
View answer936. Deputy Ivana Bacik asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the process for handling suspected and reported sexual assaults in Irish prisons; the number of instances of that process being instigated in each year from 2022 to 2024 and to date in 2025; the outcome of each instance; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49013/25]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 935 and 936 together.
The table below sets out the number of reported sexual assaults on staff and on prisoners from 2022 to date in 2025.
For operational and privacy reasons, the internal prison locations (such as cell, yard, or workshop) are not provided.
The data provided in the table is sourced from the National Incident Management System, which records incidents reported in prisons. The figures refer to alleged sexual assaults involving prisoners on staff and prisoner-on-prisoner incidents.
|
Alleged Sexual Assaults in Prisons |
2022 |
2023 |
2024 |
2025* |
Total |
|
Prisoner on Staff |
0 |
2 |
1 |
0 |
3 |
|
Prisoner on Prisoner |
1 |
3 |
1 |
2 |
7 |
*2025 data up to 12/09/2025.
Given the small number of incidents reported each year, and their sensitivity, further detail such as outcomes or specific locations are not published.
All reports of sexual assault are treated with the utmost seriousness and are referred to An Garda Síochána for investigation. Staff and prisoners affected are offered appropriate supports, including psychological and counselling services.
Additional supports are available for staff, including the Employee Assistance Programme, Critical Incident Stress Management, 24/7 confidential counselling and a free HSE-funded wellbeing text service, and for prisoners, including access to psychology services, targeted funding for interventions linked to mental health and sexual violence, and outreach from the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre in the Dóchas Centre and Limerick Female Prison, with access for other prisons as required.
