Pa Daly (Kerry, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

The situation in the female prison in Limerick is unsustainable. According to recent statistics, it is currently at 179% capacity. Overcrowding in the male and female prisons in Mountjoy means occupancy of 106% and 113%, respectively. That does not take into account the 87 prisoners currently on temporary release.

A a few weeks ago the open prisons in Shelton Abbey and Loughan House were still more than 90% full. The crisis has been well flagged by bodies such as the Irish Penal Reform Trust, IPRT, and the Prison Officers' Association. Prison overcrowding undermines the health and safety of prison staff and prisoners, making it difficult to run prisons effectively and options for moving more dangerous prisoners become restricted. During the pandemic, as the Minister said, there were some sensible and innovative approaches taken to reducing the numbers and we need to look at those. They include restorative justice, community sanctions, community return and other options, especially for short committals, which the governors of the prisons tell us make no difference whatsoever to the lives of prisoners.

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