Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The Acting Chairman is right in what he said. We have the highest number there has been for a significant period. There are 4,717 people in prison compared to an approximate capacity of 4,514. This has led to us having to put bunk beds into certain cells. A small number of people are sleeping on mattresses and other areas have been refurbished that might not have been in use previously. We have brought more than 200 new spaces into operation through the refurbishment and development of the new women's prison in Limerick, among other areas that have been refurbished, but there is a need for new developments. We are advancing plans for four short-term capital projects.

They will be in Castlerea Prison, Cloverhill Prison, Midlands Prison and Mountjoy Prison. That should deliver a maximum of 620 additional spaces, with the potential for some of them to be delivered this year. That work is ongoing, acknowledging that our population has grown, our prison population has increased in tandem with that and we need to respond accordingly. This is a fast-build programme and a short-term capital plan and I hope I will be in a position to move on that this year. It will be 2025 and 2026 before we start to see the larger numbers but that is in train. Additional money was allocated in the budget to appoint specific team members whose sole focus is this development in order that it will get the attention and focus it needs.