Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)

Despite the perception the Deputy sometimes peddles, we are not putting girl guides into prisons. More than 80% of those in prison are there for sentences of 12 months or more. They are not people languishing in prison who should not be there. Dangerous people are in prison who should not be on the streets. There has been a dramatic increase in the numbers going into prison, a result, it must be said, of increased Garda activity, longer custodial sentences and increased court activity. The significant increase in the number of persons being committed to prison since 2007 with sentences of two or more years in prison is driving up the prison population. This situation relates mainly to people who are being convicted in the Circuit Court, not the District Court. The majority of those convicted in the Circuit Court relate to very serious crimes involving property, drugs and firearms. There has been a modest increase in the use by judges of longer sentences but only 60% of those found guilty in the Circuit Court receive a prison sentence. However, there has been a most significant increase in the total number of cases being brought before and processed in the Circuit Court, which again suggests these are serious criminals or people being convicted of serious offences.

Although there is a difficulty in our prisons in that there is slightly above 100% capacity, one may compare this figure to Belgium at 125%, France at 131%, Italy at 130% and Spain at 141%. I was in Mountjoy Prison some weeks ago and although what I saw was an old prison - that is one of the reasons the Government decided to build a new prison at Thornton Hall - some of the stories I have heard and some of those the Deputy peddled in the House today do not bear up.

See this speech in context