James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank Deputy Ó Ríordáin for raising this important matter. Regarding the figures on prison capacity and overcrowding over the past 12 months, I can inform the Deputy that the courts committed 7,946 people to prison in 2023. This represents an increase of 13% on the equivalent figure of 7,043 in 2022 and 30% on the 2021 figure of 6,133. The overall daily average number of prisoners in custody in 2023 was 4,583. Overall, this represents an 11% increase when compared to 2022 and is 15.4% higher than the pre-Covid benchmark.

On 16 February 2024, there were 4,783 people in prison or 106% of overall capacity. Of these 950, or 19.8%, were remanded in custody awaiting trial for serious offences where bail had been refused by the courts. Over the course of 2023, a total of 3,271 were remanded in custody awaiting trial, an increase of 21% on 2022. From December 2022 to December 2023, there was also a 10.7% increase in sentenced prisoners, with a notable increase in the numbers serving sentences for robbery, extortion and hijacking offences; attempts to murder; assaults and related offences; dangerous or negligent acts; and sexual offences.

As the Deputy is aware, sentencing is solely a matter for the trial judge, having heard all of the circumstances of a case. It will be understood that the Irish Prison Service is obliged to accept custody of all those committed by the courts. The Irish Prison Service is a progressive service with a strong commitment to upholding human rights. However, in the context of current trends, its mission to provide safe and secure custody, dignity of care and rehabilitation to prisoners in order to make communities safer is increasingly challenging. The Irish Prison Service has set out a range of objectives in its 2023-27 strategy in relation to prisoner pathways, including identifying short-, medium- and long-term capacity and policy opportunities to deal with the increase in numbers through the implementation of its national flow plan.

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