Naoise Ó Muirí (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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11. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the plans his Department has to increase prison capacity in line with the country’s rising population; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54032/25]

Joe Neville (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Following Deputy Aird's question about courts, I am looking for more prison spaces for guilty people.

Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail)
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Our population has risen significantly over the past 20 years but our prison capacity has not risen on a corresponding basis. There is a requirement to ensure that we have more prison spaces. This does not mean that I or the Government believe the solution to all antisocial or criminal behaviour is incarceration. We recognise, however, that prisons need a greater number of spaces because of the increased level of detection, the increase in the population and the increase in the type of criminal activities the Houses of the Oireachtas have designated as criminal acts.

Since 2022, capacity across the prison estate has been increased by 380 new spaces. The target is to deliver 1,595 individual prison spaces by 2031. A record capital investment of €495 million is being provided to the Irish Prison Service over the next five years which will provide for the largest investment in the prison estate in the history of the State. This includes a new prison on the site of the old Cork prison, a new block in Wheatfield, both of which I visited, an additional block extension at the Midlands Prison, which I hope to visit soon, and additional spaces at Castlerea, Mountjoy and Dóchas.

It is important to point out that a new mental health therapeutic centre is also planned for Mountjoy. I thank the Minister for Health for her co-operation in that respect.

In consultation with the Minister for Finance, I secured an exemption under the infrastructure guidelines to allow for the delivery of 960 new places to be accelerated. This is expected to speed up delivery timelines by 12 to 18 months. The Prison Service has a very good record when it comes to building on time and on budget. The estate section of the Irish Prison Service is very good.

Joe Neville (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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I fully agree that incarceration is not always the answer. At the same time, we need to ensure that there are places in our prisons for those who commit offences. We also need to ensure that they know this. We have a great body of prison officers. They are some of the best people in our country. They work really hard and diligently on our behalf. I know many of them personally. We need to make sure the places in which they work are the best possible, are upgraded and not overcrowded. A fear people have is that they might see people going in and out of courts and perhaps not getting the sentences they should. That is a different issue. I want to ensure that there are places for those who are found guilty and to whom sentences are handed down. I also want to ensure that they remain in prison and serve out their sentences in full, particularly as they were found guilty, and that they will not be let out because we do not have the space for them.

Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail)
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I agree with the Deputy. There are certain types of offenders who have been convicted and who require incarceration. The justice system has directed that they be incarcerated, and the Irish Prison Service does not have an option. It must take in people on whom the courts have imposed custodial sentences.

Since I became Minister, I have visited seven prisons.

I am extremely impressed at the work that goes on in prisons throughout the country. The Irish Prison Service does an excellent job, as does the Probation Service and other services that operate within our prison system. They are challenging visits. I always make sure I have an opportunity to speak to staff and the prisoners as well. A lot of good work is being done to prepare individuals for coming out of prison. Those individuals have already been judged by the justice system. It is not our job to judge them again; the system has judged them, but we want to try to ensure that as well as their penalty being served, they are prepared for release into the community. There is excellent work being done to ensure people are so prepared.

Joe Neville (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Minister for his response. His colleagues, the two Ministers of State, have been very helpful in dealing with any queries and issues I have with the Department. I thank the Minister for his work since he came in, as well as his diligence, especially on this key issue. When people commit offences we need to ensure there are places for them, but we also need to ensure there is outreach and that when people come out of our prisons they are fully back in as members of our society. As I said, the question I ask pertained specifically to the increase in population and the need for prison spaces in line with that. I do not think anybody would say that would not be required. As the Minister has set out, our national development plan, which is our plan for the country, deals with that. The number of spaces that are to be there by 2031 is 1,595 and I fully welcome that.

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