Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 25 September 2025
314. Deputy Mark Ward asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the number of prisoners in the general population in prisons diagnosed with psychosis; if the prisoners are receiving the appropriate treatment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50889/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraIt is the aim of the Irish Prison Service to provide safe and secure custody, dignity of care and rehabilitation to prisoners for safer communities and to provide health, mental health and psychological services to those on an equivalent basis to that available to those eligible for General Medical Services in the community.
In data from Kennedy et al.'s work published in the early 2000s, prevalence rates of psychosis were 3.9% amongst men committed to Irish prisons; 7.6% amongst men on remand and 2.7% amongst sentenced men. Rates of psychosis was 5.4% amongst women in custody.
Contemporary prevalence data does not currently exist in relation to the number of people in custody in Ireland with psychosis. However, the Government’s mental health policy, outlined in Sharing the Vision, recommends a mental health needs analysis of the prison population. This work is currently being progressed.
The Irish Prison Service multidisciplinary team works directly with the mental health needs of people in custody. This team is made up of the Primary Healthcare and Psychology, in addition to in-reach mental health services, provided by the HSE’s National Forensic Mental Health Service. The latter involves the provision of weekly forensic mental health sessions led by consultant forensic psychiatrists, supported by non-consultant hospital doctors, community psychiatric nurses, and social workers. The current case load of National Forensic Mental Health Service in-reach teams across the prison estate is 341 with 51 awaiting new assessment.
