Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail)

The Deputy recognises our population is increasing at such a rate it is inevitable we are going to have to increase the number of prison units available. Last year our population increased by 98,000 and this year it is probably going to somewhere similar. When the population increases we expect there is going to be an increase in the prison population as well because there is going to be an increase in criminal activity and in detection and conviction. On the prisons themselves, the big challenge I and my colleagues face is the prisons suffer from overcapacity. There is approximately 117% capacity in prisons at present. That means there are many prisoners who are sleeping on mattresses on floors. I am committed to ending that. The way to end that though is not releasing prisoners, but building more units so they can have more dignified places in which they are accommodated when in the prison system. That is something we need to expedite and we are committed to do so.

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