Peadar Tóibín
Ceist:1050. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Justice the number of counsellors or psychologists currently working in the Irish Prison Service. [33801/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraMonday, 9 September 2024
Ceisteanna (1050)
Freagraí scríofa
The role of the Psychology Service in the Irish Prison Service is to develop, deliver and manage an integrated mental health and criminogenic needs assessment and treatment service for people in custody, in line with service plans and objectives, and within established professional standards, guidelines and policy.
Psychologists are employed directly by the Irish Prison Service. The Irish Prison Psychology Service has the following authorised posts: a Head of Service, a Principal Psychologist Manager, a Principal Specialist Psychologist, 14 Senior Psychologists, 23.4 Staff Grade Psychologists and 14 Assistant Psychologists. The latter is a fixed term contract unqualified grade which is not included when establishing the psychologist to prisoner ratios.
The number of psychologists currently employed by the Irish Prison Service is as follows: a Principal Psychologist Manager, 13 Senior Psychologists, 15 Staff Grade Psychologists (4 are currently in training via UCC) and 10 Assistant Psychologists. There are currently 3.4 locum Psychologists and one locum Senior Psychologist employed by the Irish Prison Service.
The Psychology Service has engaged in a concerted effort to improve the recruitment and retention of Psychologists. A recruitment campaign for Psychologists recently concluded, resulting in the formation of a panel and it is anticipated that the eight current psychologist vacancies will be filled from this panel.
Separately, counsellors, specifically addiction counsellors, are employed directly by Merchants Quay Ireland to provide a prison-based addiction counselling service across the entire Irish Prison Service estate. There are 17.6 Addiction Counsellors currently working across the Irish Prison Service Estate. Merchants Quay Ireland have advised that they have recently recruited 2.4 additional counsellors who are expected to begin working in prisons during September 2024. This will ensure that the sanctioned compliment of 20 Addiction Counsellors is in place.