Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 25 March 2026
194. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the statistics for the number of individuals on the waitlist for psychology and addiction services in the Irish Prison Service, by each prison; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22612/26]
View answerThe Irish Prison Service engages Merchants Quay Ireland to provide a prison-based addiction counselling service across the Irish prison estate, with the exception of Arbour Hill Prison and the Training Unit. Both prisons have historically accommodated people with fewer addiction challenges, however clinical need is increasing and resourcing is now under review.
The Psychology Service provides an integrated assessment and treatment service, focusing on both mental health and criminogenic need across the prison estate.
Ongoing pressure on spaces in the Irish Prison Service impacts clinical waitlists in two ways. First, an increased prison population means more people are referred to each service with clinical need. Second, overcrowding impacts operational management of prisons, including reducing clinician access. As a result, unfortunately, a proportion of those referred to addiction counsellors and psychologists will be released without assessment or treatment.
The information requested in relation to current waiting lists is provided in Table 1 below.
Table 1: Waitlist figures for MQI and Psychology Services per prison (Feb 2026)
|
Prison |
MQI Addiction Service Waitlist |
IPS Psychology Service Waitlist |
|
Arbour Hill |
0 |
76 |
|
Castlerea |
77 |
170 |
|
Cloverhill |
55 |
90 |
|
Cork |
103 |
194 |
|
Limerick |
117 |
191 |
|
Loughan House |
10 |
54 |
|
Midlands |
75 |
582 |
|
Mountjoy |
256 |
531 |
|
Portlaoise |
67 |
169 |
|
Shelton Abbey |
0 |
40 |
|
Training Unit |
0 |
43 |
|
Wheatfield |
160 |
285 |
|
Totals |
920 |
2,425 |
