Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 2 December 2025
420. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the number of criminal investigations initiated as a result of drone-related contraband entering the prison system since 2020; the number of arrests; the number of charges; and the number of convictions secured. [67741/25]
Amharc ar fhreagra421. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration if his Department has conducted any assessment of links between drone-delivered contraband and organised criminal groups; and if he will outline the findings of any such assessments. [67742/25]
Amharc ar fhreagra424. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration if his Department has examined international counter-drone models used in the UK, Canada, or the Netherlands for prison protection; and if he will provide details of any pilot projects or procurement considerations underway. [67745/25]
Amharc ar fhreagra425. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration whether additional statutory powers are required by the Prison Service or An Garda Síochána to disable or intercept drones approaching prison facilities; and if he will outline any planned legislative proposals. [67746/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 420, 421, 424 and 425 together.
I am very aware that the flow of contraband is one of the most pressing issues affecting security and safety in our prisons. 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. If suitable technologies are identified then the IPS will proceed with the procurement and installation of same.
The Irish Prison Service is working to enhance yard security in prisons and has invested €5 million to-date on the installation of metallic mesh netting to prevent and reduce drone-enabled contraband drops and this is proving effective.
Over the course of 2024 and to-date in 2025, enhanced netting has been installed at two prisons. To-date, there have been no successful contraband deliveries to the yards where a new netting solution has been employed.
The Garda Commissioner is responsible for the management and administration of Garda business under Section 26 of the Garda Síochána Act 2005 (as amended), which includes the investigation of allegations of criminal conduct. To be of assistance to the Deputy, I have made enquiries with my colleagues in An Garda Síochána who advise that, following a search of the Pulse database there is no standard operation ID, incident type or offence code available to reliably capture the data requested by the Deputy.
However, I can advise the Deputy that 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.
I am further advised by An Garda Síochána that, while the methods currently employed in the use of drone technology and delivery of drugs into prisons is indicative of organised criminal gang (OCG) involvement, at this time there is no hard data suggesting any one particular gang is responsible for it.
