Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 18 November 2025
831. Deputy Conor Sheehan asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the number of prisoners with serious mental illnesses held in the general population, who require psychiatric hospital care waiting for a bed, by prison, from 2020 to 2025, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [63821/25]
View answerThe Irish prison population is currently made up of over 5,700 people.
Everyone committed to prison is subject to a comprehensive medical assessment by the Prison Healthcare Team and a key component of this is a mental health assessment. The information provided as part of this process is recorded on the person’s individual medical record on the Prison Healthcare Management System (PHMS) and this record allows for the development of an individual healthcare plan for the prisoner while in custody. Where necessary, the person is referred to an in-reach Consultant Forensic Psychiatrist or Irish Prison Service Psychologist, or both and medical and/or psychological treatment is provided as clinically indicated.
The Irish Prison Psychology Services (IPPS) play a lead role in relation to group or individual talking therapy interventions and are part of the prison-based multidisciplinary team (MDT).
The MDT working directly to meet the mental health needs of people in custody is made up of the General Practitioners, Nurses and Healthcare Assistants within the Primary Healthcare team at the particular prison, the IPPS, and in-reach mental health services, provided by the HSE’s National Forensic Mental Health Service (NFMHS). NFMHS is made up of Consultant Forensic Psychiatrists, supported by Non-Consultant Hospital Doctors, Community Psychiatric Nurses, and Social Workers. This team provides weekly forensic mental health sessions in prisons.
The IPPS also provide offence-related (criminogenic) assessment and intervention which frequently includes mental health and trauma-related factors. At any one time there are typically 2,100 people in custody awaiting assessment and/or treatment with a Psychologist. 600 prisoners are actively engaged with the service.
The mental health conditions of those being treated include serious mental illnesses, primarily schizophrenia spectrum disorders and other mental disorders including neurodevelopmental and intellectual disabilities and organic brain disorders.
The Irish Prison Service does not hold the specific data requested by the Deputy. The Irish Prison Service requests and receives some data relating to waiting lists for Mental Health Service referrals from the NFMHS. However, it is important to note that the NFMHS remains the data controller on this information.
As of 23rd September 2025, the case load of the psychiatric in-reach teams across the prison estate was 341 with 51 awaiting new assessment. There are currently 31 people on that caseload awaiting transfer to the Central Mental Hospital. The table below shows the breakdown by prison.
|
Location |
No of prisoners on waiting list for CMH @10/11/2025 |
|
Castlerea |
7 |
|
Cloverhill |
11 |
|
Cork |
3 |
|
Limerick |
1 |
|
Midlands |
3 |
|
Mountjoy |
4 |
|
Portlaoise |
1 |
|
Wheatfield |
1 |
|
|
31 |
