467. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration if he will request the Comptroller and Auditor General to conduct a detailed review of Irish Prison Service expenditure on media, podcasts, and influencer contracts since 2020. [53858/25]
Parliamentary questions
Questions
TDs ask ministers questions to get answers on the record, most of them in writing. Here is every one asked in the 34th Dáil, by the department it went to and the subject heading it was filed under. How questions work
Browse the questions
Showing questions asked by Ken O'Flynn under the heading Prison Service.
71 questions match, newest first.
468. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration if he will provide a list of all foreign travel undertaken by senior Irish Prison Service executives since 1 January 2020, including the destination, purpose, number of staff travelling, and total cost to the taxpayer in each case. [53859/25]
469. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the total cost of single modular housing units provided by the Irish Prison Service since 1 January 2020; the procurement process used for these units; and if he will provide a breakdown of the number of units purchased and their individual costs. [53860/25]
709. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the total sum, inclusive and exclusive of VAT, paid by the Irish Prison Service to the presenters of a podcast (details supplied) in 2025; the date on which the payment was made; and the budget line from which it was drawn. [51785/25]
710. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the procurement process used by the Irish Prison Service in commissioning promotional content from a podcast (details supplied); if a competitive tender process was undertaken; if so, the number of bids received; if not, the justification for direct award; and if he will make available the documentation supporting this decision. [51786…
711. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the audience reach figures for a podcast episode (details supplied) funded by the Irish Prison Service, including total downloads, listener demographics, geographic distribution, and average listening duration, as reported back to the service. [51787/25]
712. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the number of applications received for the 2025 prison officer recruitment campaign; the number of applicants who referenced a podcast episode (details supplied) when applying; and the number of candidates subsequently hired who referenced the podcast as their point of engagement with the Irish Prison Service. [51788/25]
713. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the cost per applicant and cost per recruit arising from the Irish Prison Service’s podcast sponsorship with (details supplied); and the way in which the figures compare with the cost per applicant and recruit generated through other channels such as digital advertising, radio, or print media. [51789/25]
714. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the oversight and editorial approval process used in relation to the content of a sponsored podcast (details supplied); the number of edits requested by the Irish Prison Service; and the official or officials who signed off on the final broadcast version. [51790/25]
715. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration if a post-campaign evaluation or audit of the Irish Prison Service’s podcast sponsorship was undertaken; if so, to provide the evaluation or audit report; and whether the campaign was assessed as achieving value for money. [51791/25]
716. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration if the Irish Prison Service intends to undertake further sponsored podcast partnerships or similar promotional arrangements in 2026 and beyond; and if so, the mechanisms which will be put in place to guarantee value for money and accountability in such spending. [51792/25]
865. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration further to the Irish Prison Service Annual Report 2024, noting 213 prisoners sleeping on cell floors representing a 150–156% annual increase, the daily average population versus design capacity in 2024 and 2025 to date; the implementation timeline, monthly targets, and KPIs for electronic monitoring for bail, post-release supervision, …
867. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration if she will publish the number of prisoners sleeping on mattresses on cell floors in each prison; the number of bail-eligible prisoners held on remand due to the absence of electronic tagging or community supervision; and the Department’s specific 2025 targets for expanding electronic monitoring, including procurement status, KPIs, and…
868. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration if she will provide the average and maximum time spent on remand since 2020; the proportion of remand prisoners subsequently convicted of non-custodial offences; and the Department’s current policy on crediting time served on remand towards sentence calculation, by prison. [48136/25]
1567. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the measures being taken to address the current overcrowding in Cork Prison, which is operating at 133% of its capacity with 98 prisoners without access to beds; and if he will confirm the contingency plans in place to ensure humane and safe treatment of all prisoners. [45531/25]
1568. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration in view of the fact the national prison system is accommodating almost 900 more inmates than its designed capacity, the Government’s strategic plan to resolve this overcrowding including whether it plans to expand existing facilities, construct new accommodation and increase the use of alternatives such as community sanctions. [45532/…
1569. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the statistics on the proportion of the prison population held on remand pending trial compared with convicted prisoners; and the reforms being considered to reduce remand numbers particularly for non-violent offences, through measures such as bail reform or expanded use of community-based alternatives. [45533/25]
1570. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration whether his Department has implemented in whole or in part, the recommendations of the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Justice in respect of a decarceration strategy, and if so, the impacts to date on occupancy levels and recidivism. [45534/25]
1571. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration if he has commissioned or received evidence regarding increased assaults or risks to prison officers as a result of overcrowding in Irish prisons; and the measures being taken to safeguard the health, welfare, and safety of prison staff under such conditions. [45535/25]
1572. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration whether his Department is examining international best practice in prison design and management, such as the adoption of normalisation models and architectural reforms that have been linked with improved rehabilitation outcomes; and if he intends to pilot such approaches in the State. [45536/25]
1573. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration his plans to balance the Government’s aim of penal reform and reduction of prison overcrowding with the need to protect the public, safeguard victims of crime, and maintain public confidence in the justice system. [45537/25]