A PROPER medical audit of the prison medical service in Mountjoy Prison should be carried out by the Minister for Justice, Dr Mary Henry (Ind) said yesterday.
Dr Henry proposed a motion for the Minister to implement the recommendations of the 1,995 Report of the Visiting Committee of Mountjoy Prison.
An audit on the medical services in the prison has been carried out by the committee. It was critical of the "quality and quantity" of the medical service to prisoners, she said, but no negligence was claimed.
However, Dr Henry said the visiting committee had overlooked the fact that a medical audit should "be carried out by one's peers", by a body such as the Irish College of General Practitioners.
Mr Donal Carey, Minister of State, revealed that one of the individuals criticised in this section of the report had retained a solicitor.
Mr David Norris (Ind) called for a needle exchange programme and condom distribution in the prison. These measures would help to reduce the huge drug problem and the incidence of AIDS in Mountjoy.
Mr Dan Neville (FG) said he was concerned about the high level of suicide. Since 1990, just under two thirds of suicides had occurred in Mountjoy.
The prison has only seven welfare officers for its population of 700, said Mr Feargal Quinn (Ind).