New figures show prisoners with drug problems are forced to wait more than three months to see an addiction counsellor, reports The Mirror.
It follows a report published last week in the Irish Mirror which revealed that the number of counsellors in Irish prisons has not increased for almost a decade, despite almost 70 per cent of prisoners struggling with addiction.
The issue was raised this week by Green Party MP Patrick Costello, who was told by Justice Minister Helen McEntee that the average waiting time to see an addictions counsellor in larger prisons can be more than three months.
“There are many local variables unique to each prison which can influence how long a prisoner could remain on the waiting list to see an addiction counsellor,” she explained, reports The Mirror.
“These factors include access to the prisoner, if they are on remand, their expected date of release, where in the prison they reside (for example, are they on protection or non-protection), and the prisoner’s individual work schedule,” reports The Mirror.
Ms McEntee also said some prisoners were prioritized based on clinical assessment.
“If there are concerns raised following a medical assessment, a prisoner will be prioritised. In addition, where waiting lists are high, MQI can offer group counselling as an alternative to one-to-one sessions to give access to as many people as possible,” she said, reports The Mirror.
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