AQW 36826/22-27

Mr Eóin Tennyson
Alliance Party
Upper Bann

Tabled Date: 04/12/2025
Answered On Date: 31/12/2025
Priority Written: No

Question:
To ask the Minister of Justice to detail (a) the number of Assembly Questions for Written Answer her Department has received; and (b) the total number of members correspondence her Department and the Northern Ireland Prison Service has received, in relation to animals in prisons since 1 August 2025; (ii) to detail the amount of time her officials have spent responding to these Assembly Questions for Written Answer and items of correspondence; and (iii) for an estimate of the cost of carrying out this work.

Answer:

Since 1 August 2025, the Department and the Northern Ireland Prison Service has received 2 oral questions, 25 Assembly Questions for Written Answer and 9 correspondence cases from members in relation to animals in prison.

It is estimated that officials have spent a total of 232 hours responding to these.

It has not been possible to accurately estimate the cost of this work, but we can be confident that it is considerable, and I believe that is deeply regrettable in the context of the severe financial challenges facing Northern Ireland’s justice system. Those who proport to be advocates for better outcomes in the justice system should reflect on the role they are playing in draining its resources in this way.