Éamon Ó Cuív Calls for Flexible Christmas Prison Visits

Minister, this has been a very difficult year for many people but it has been particularly challenging for prison management, prison staff and for prisoners and I would like to compliment the IPS, prison staff and the way that Covid was kept out of the prisons but also to recognise the cooperation of prisoners who are deprived of visits and many other things in the prisons as a result. My question is, what arrangements have been made over the Christmas period in relation to prison visits so that this may happen in as generous and humane a way as possible, consonant with public health? I thank Deputy O'Keefe for raising this important question and I appreciate the Deputy's concern and again thank him for raising the issue. I am assured that every effort has been made by the Irish Prison Service to continue physical visits during this pandemic. As the Deputy is aware, it was necessary to suspend physical visits to prisons firstly in March and again in October following public health guidance. The Service is acutely aware of the need for prisoners to maintain contact with their families and a new video visit system was introduced which has allowed families to continue to support those in custody and feedback on the use of this has been generally positive. I understand that additional phone calls have also been facilitated. The IPS has announced arrangements to allow all those in custody to book a physical family visit between 16th December and 6th January. Each prisoner will be entitled to one physical visit limited to two people which is limited to 15 minutes in duration. I understand this time limit is necessary to ensure that the maximum number of visits can be facilitated. Having regard to the need to reduce the number of booths in use for distancing purposes and the need to fully sanitize services between visitors. All visits will be behind clear screens and visitors and prisoners will be required to wear a face mask at all times. No physical contact will be permitted. All visitors will also be subject to the COVID-19 screening procedures which have been in place since March. Visitors are requested not to attend if they have any symptoms, have been in contact with a person who has gone for testing, if they have themselves been tested positive for COVID and yet to be cleared by their doctor or if they have been abroad in the preceding fortnight. I understand this is very difficult for the families concerned, particularly after such a difficult year. However, the IPS have worked tirelessly to safeguard prisoners and staff and this continues to be a primary consideration. We are all hoping next year will be a very different year, but for now IPS must continue to ensure that the prison population is protected from the virus and they are continuing to make use of alternative means of keeping prisoners and their families connected. And prisoners will continue to be able to avail of a 20-minute video visit and additionally daily phone call is also being facilitated during the Christmas period. I would like to thank the minister for his reply and I do realise the health challenges and I think everything is a balance here. I would also recognise that video visits have been made available, although there have been some gremlins with that, but new system and it is certainly a help. As all of us have found out in our lives, video visits, Skype, all these things are no substitute for personal contact. And we also are aware that one of the big losses of being in prison is obviously family contact and this has been exacerbated this year. We also know that family contact often and good family contact often has an effect on the outcome for prisoners after they leave prison. I was wondering minister, you are saying that it is two to a visit, one adult obviously, so if there are two or three members in a family, it seems to put a family in an invidious situation and I would imagine that the number of prisoners with children is not equal to the total prison population. I was wondering, can anything be done around this to create some flexibility because it seems very, very difficult at this very, very special time of the year. I thank the deputy and absolutely understand the loss of family contact certainly does have an impact in the prisoners and I suppose this is something that has happened across our society in the last year due to COVID. And I agree that the prisoners having contact with their family does help with stability and with better outcomes upon release. Again, I also agree that it will put some families in a very difficult situation where they do have to choose if only two can attend. But I suppose it's something that has had to occur across all of our services and we've seen that in nursing homes as well and very difficult choices have to be made. But I certainly will encourage the Irish prison service that if any flexibility can be put in while adhering to health considerations and health concerns, that those flexibilities will be put in place. Thank you, Mr. Minister. I'm glad to hear you say that because I think what we need is flexibility. Not all situations are the same. There won't be the same pressure in all the different prisons in relation to prison visiting. And I particularly make the health case that if there's a family living together, the risk from two or three you wouldn't imagine be any different. Because if they're living together, you know, you'd imagine that one would get, another would get. And I think that the humane thing would be to make arrangements for the children to be able to visit during the Christmas period in both the male and female prisons. And I think that if they have to get multiple visits and people who don't have children don't, I think that should be facilitated. But I think it's asking parents to make invidious choices to have to choose between one child and another. And as I said, not every prisoner has children. In fact, many, many prisoners don't have children. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Again, thank the deputy. And as I say, if there are any flexibility that can be put in place, I'd certainly be encouraging the IPS to do so. Of course, they will have to adhere to both the practical difficulties and also the difficulties around COVID and health advice, and they will have to be followed. But obviously, it will give a very, very difficult situation for those families concerned, especially where there's young children involved. And it is difficult to be separated from your family at any time, but certainly at Christmas, it will be even more difficult for those families and for those prisoners as well. I understand that the IPS will also be facilitating temporary release for a small cohort of prisoners, as is the normal practice and applications are currently being considered in that respect. And I know also, in terms of the mental health of prisoners, that Minister McEntee is working very hard to try and improve the mental health supports for prisoners, and not only in the short term, but in the long term as well. Thank you. Thank you.