Section 10 of the Principal Act is amended as follows:

(a) by omitting from subsection (1) "to each prison" ;

(b) by inserting the following subsection after subsection (1) :

(1A)  A person appointed as an official visitor is to be –

(a) appointed for a term, not exceeding 3 years, specified in his or her instrument of appointment; and

(b) appointed on terms and conditions specified in his or her instrument of appointment; and

(c) paid such remuneration and allowances as the Minister may determine.

(c) by omitting from subsection (2) "one or more prisons" and substituting "all prisons in the State" ;

(d) by omitting subsection (3) and substituting the following subsections:

(3)  The Minister may appoint a Coordinator of the Official Visitors Scheme.

(3A)  The Coordinator of the Official Visitors Scheme is to ensure that each prison is visited at least once a month by an official visitor and, for that purpose, may establish a system for the coordination of visits to prisons by official visitors.

(e) by omitting paragraph (a) from subsection (4) and substituting the following paragraph:

(a) visit, either alone or with another visitor, any prison once a month or at any other time; and

(f) by omitting from subsection (5) "officer or a prisoner or detainee" and substituting "officer, a prisoner or detainee or a State Service corrections employee" ;

(g) by inserting in subsection (6)(a) "or State Service corrections employees" after "officers" ;

(h) by omitting subsection (7) and substituting the following subsections:

(7)  The Coordinator of the Official Visitors Scheme, as soon as practicable after 31 December in each year, is to give the Minister a report –

(a) on the inquiries or investigations made under subsection (4) ; and

(b) on the visits to prisons by official visitors; and

(c) on the activities of official visitors at prisons –

in that year.

(7A)  The Minister may, at any time, request the Coordinator of the Official Visitors Scheme to give the Minister a report –

(a) on the inquiries or investigations made under subsection (4) ; or

(b) on the visits to prisons by official visitors; or

(c) on the activities of official visitors at prisons; or

(d) on any other matter relating to official visits that the Minister requires.

(i) by inserting in subsection (8) "and a State Service corrections employee" after "officer" .