asked the Minister for Justice if he is aware that a consignment of books for the use of the Mountjoy Prison library service was refused by the prison authorities; if so, why; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

2.

asked the Minister for Justice why a deputation from the Prisoners' Rights Organisation was not allowed to hand over a consignment of books for the library service at Mountjoy Prison.

3.

asked the Minister for Justice the library facilities available to prisoners.

With the permission of the Ceann Comhairle, I propose to take Questions Nos. 1, 2 and 3 together. All prisons and places of detention are supplied with books from the public county and city libraries. The local authorities and librarians concerned have been most helpful and co-operative in supplying a full range of books including light and serious fiction and books of general interest including some advanced text books. Care is taken to ensure that all reasonable requirements are met.

In Mountjoy prison the library contains more than 1,000 books and about half of that number are replaced at intervals of a few months. In the circumstances, the offer of some books by the organisation in question has to be regarded as a propagandist exercise, a fact which was in any case evident from the advance notice which representatives of the communications media had of the proposed handing-over and from a document subsequently issued by them in relation to the affair, a document containing statements that are not in accordance with readily ascertainable facts.

How often is a prisoner allowed to get books from the prison library? Is it once a week or once a month?

A prisoner is allowed up to three books at any one time and is allowed to change them every couple of weeks.

Has the library in any of the prisons got discretion to accept gifts of books from any source?

It has not been the practice and I do not intend that it will be the practice. If a prisoner requires a specific book the governor of the prison will do everything possible to get it for him or her from the public libraries.