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

No. I do not think we can predict. Every year, I have always tried to get as much money as possible for all of the different Votes. Some years, you get more while other years, you do not. It is hard to predict how many prisoners will be across the entire prison estate but I believe this year represents a step change and an acknowledgement of the fact that our prison numbers have gone up significantly. We want to maintain that budget but continue to increase it - not just the capital side of it but the prison officer side, education and other areas. As the population increases, what suffers first are education and access to rehabilitation so the increase in staff is not just for prison officers but for other areas as well, which is hugely beneficial in trying to deal with that revolving door.