I propose to take Questions Nos. 670 and 671 together.
Preventing the access of contraband, including drugs, into prisons is a high priority for the Irish Prison Service, and it continues to examine technologies that might assist in making our prisons more secure, including anti-drone technologies. I am advised that the Irish Prison Service addresses drone incursions across the prison estate by deploying appropriate dynamic security measures responding to the nature and level of the threat in each instance.
The controlled management of security-related information is a core component of maintaining a safe and secure custodial environment for staff, prisoners, and the wider community. There are no current plans to publish this information on an ongoing basis due to the risk of compromising the integrity, security, or safety of the prison estate.
The Irish Prison Service, together with An Garda Síochána, have completed several very successful collaborative operations in the past year delivering significant results, including multiple arrests and prosecutions linked to attempts to introduce drugs and other contraband into prisons by drone or throw-over. This intelligence-led, multi-agency co-operation is effectively disrupting and detecting attempted delivery of contraband into prisons and improving communication pathways regarding supply, availability, typology and impact of illicit substances in prisons.
In May of this year, the Irish Prison Service and An Garda Síochána signed a Memorandum of Understanding to formalise a framework for interagency cooperation. The Memorandum of Understanding was developed to enable the two organisations to work in partnership to prioritise cooperation in tackling organised crime, drug dealing and contraband smuggling.
As the Deputy will be aware, the Garda Commissioner is responsible for the management and administration of An Garda Síochána under Section 33 of the Policing, Security and Community Safety Act 2024. This includes all operational policing matters. Under Section 34(1) of the Policing Security and Community Safety Act 2024, the Garda Commissioner is independent in the performance of his functions.
