565. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration further to Parliamentary Question No. 806 of 16 September 2026, (details supplied), to identify the statutory, delegated, assigned or administrative basis for that vesting in respect of prison-grade staff; the date it took effect; whether the Department of Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation or…
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
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Showing questions asked by Ken O'Flynn under the heading Prison Service.
71 questions match, newest first.
806. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration in circumstances where the Irish Prison Service has not been established on a statutory basis, the person or body that constituted the 'relevant authority' under the Department of Finance Circular 22/2007 for determining an application by a prison officer for retirement on grounds of ill health since 2019; the authority to make the fin…
2100. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the specific supports, services, and clinical care that have been provided to remand prisoners with acute mental illness in Irish prisons since January 2026; the number of staff, including psychiatrists, psychologists, and nurses, that have been assigned to deliver this care; the protocols which exist to ensure timely access to assess…
2101. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the current certified operational capacity of Cork Prison; the current average daily occupancy for each month in 2025 and to date in 2026; the policy measures in place to address persistent overcrowding; and the timeline for any planned capacity expansion or alternative custodial arrangements. [25641/26]
2102. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration whether minimum accommodation standards, including access to a bed, are being met in Cork Prison; the number and proportion of prisoners required to sleep on mattresses on a nightly basis in 2025 and to date in 2026; and the actions being taken to eliminate this practice. [25642/26]
2103. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the number of prisoners in Cork Prison currently awaiting access to psychological services; the average waiting time for assessment and treatment; the staffing levels allocated to prison psychology services in Cork; and any plans to increase capacity. [25643/26]
2104. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the number of prisoners in Cork Prison currently awaiting addiction treatment services; the providers contracted to deliver these services; the annual funding allocated; and the steps being taken to ensure timely access to treatment. [25644/26]
2105. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration whether the Department has assessed the number of prisoners released from Cork Prison without receiving recommended psychological or addiction treatment in each of the past three years; and the policy implications of such outcomes for reoffending and public safety. [25645/26]
2106. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the extent to which overcrowding impacts clinician access within Cork Prison; whether any formal risk assessments have been conducted regarding reduced access to clinical services; and if so, to provide details. [25646/26]
2107. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration Justice the national average rates of prisoners awaiting psychological and addiction treatment; how Cork Prison compares; and whether Cork has been identified as a priority site for intervention. [25647/26]
2108. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration whether the Department has assessed the effectiveness of delivering psychological and addiction services to prisoners serving short sentences; and whether alternative community-based or post-release treatment pathways are being developed. [25648/26]
2109. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration how current levels of overcrowding in Cork Prison impact the delivery of the Irish Prison Service rehabilitation strategy; and whether any elements of that strategy are currently not being delivered as intended [25650/26]
2110. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration whether additional capital investment, modular accommodation, or non-custodial sentencing reforms are under consideration to address overcrowding in Cork Prison; and the timelines associated with same [25651/26]
1236. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration whether he has been briefed, in any capacity, on the operation or regulation of the exchange-of-duty system within the Irish Prison Service, including the review of that system referenced in organisational communications in November 2025. [18292/26]
1237. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration whether his Department or the Irish Prison Service has conducted an internal audit, compliance assessment, or control review of exchange-of-duty practices involving unreciprocated exchanges or private financial arrangements between staff; and, if so, when such review commenced and whether its findings have been finalised. [18293/26]
794. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the procurement reference number, procurement route, and approval pathway used by the Irish Prison Service for each engagement with podcasts, influencers, or media outlets between 1 January 2020 and 30 September 2025; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9403/26]
795. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration to specify, for each engagement by the Irish Prison Service with podcasts, influencers, or media outlets since 1 January 2020, whether the expenditure was procured through an Office of Government Procurement framework, an open competitive process, a competitive quotation process, or a sole supplier arrangement; and if he will provide t…
796. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration to outline the criteria applied by the Irish Prison Service in determining that a sole supplier arrangement was justified for any podcast, influencer, or media engagement since 1 January 2020; and to confirm whether written sole supplier justifications were completed in each such case. [9405/26]
797. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration to confirm the grade and role of the approving officer within the Irish Prison Service or the Department of Justice, Home Affairs and Migration who authorised each sole supplier engagement with podcasts, influencers, or media outlets since 1 January 2020; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9406/26]
798. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration whether the Irish Prison Service applies expenditure aggregation rules across multiple payments to the same supplier within a financial year for the purposes of public procurement compliance; and if he will outline the way this policy was applied in respect of podcast, influencer, or media engagements since 2020. [9407/26]
799. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration whether any internal audit, compliance review, or governance assurance process within the Department or the Irish Prison Service examined expenditure on podcasts, influencers, or media services since 1 January 2020; and if so, to specify the year in which each review occurred and its scope. [9408/26]
800. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration to clarify the governance and oversight arrangements in place where the Irish Prison Service commissions or co-produces media content, including podcasts, as part of recruitment or rehabilitative initiatives; and to confirm whether such arrangements are treated as advertising expenditure or commissioned content for procurement purposes…
801. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration to outline the reasons an e-tender process commenced in 2025 in respect of services provided by experts by experience was paused; to specify the authority under which the pause occurred; and to confirm whether expenditure continued during the period in which the tender process was paused. [9410/26]
802. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration whether the Department has issued any guidance, circulars, or internal instructions to the Irish Prison Service since 2020 regarding the procurement of media, podcast, influencer, or public relations services; and if so, to specify the dates on which such guidance was issued. [9411/26]
803. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration whether he is satisfied that the governance, approval, and procurement controls applied by the Irish Prison Service to podcast, influencer, and media engagements since 1 January 2020 provide value for money and full compliance with public procurement requirements; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9412/26]