Ombudsman welcomes recommendation for prisoner complaints powers

The Ombudsman and Information Commissioner has welcomed a recommendation that he be given the powers to investigate complaints from prisoners.

Ombudsman Peter Tyndall welcomed a recommendation from Judge Michael Reilly, Inspector of Prisons, that the prisoner complaints process be reformed to guarantee independent investigation of complaints.

Speaking at The Ombudsman Behind Bars conference in Dublin today, Judge Reilly said Ireland is breaching human rights by not allowing prisoners to have their complaints independently investigated.

Serious complaints are currently investigated by a team of lawyers appointed by the Irish Prison Service (IPS).

Today’s conference was held to coincide with the annual conference of the Ombudsman Association (OA).

Mr Tyndall said: “I welcome Judge Reilly’s recommendation that my Office should examine complaints from prisoners.

“It is important that all users of public services, including prisoners, should have objective, independent consideration of their complaints. Ombudsmen elsewhere already deal with complaints from prisoners and my Office is well placed to take on this role in Ireland.”

Judge Reilly said: “It would be simplistic to suggest that responsibility for the investigation of all prisoner complaints should be vested in an independent external agency.

“I have recommended to the Minister for Justice and Equality that prisoners must be entitled to bring complaints before a judicial or other authority, having exhausted the internal prison complaints mechanism and this authority should be the Ombudsman.”