Charles Flanagan (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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Question 146: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the prisoner capacity of each prison; the number of prisoners held in each prison; his views on overcrowding in prisons; and the action he will take in the immediate, medium and long term to address the matter of prison overcrowding. [10607/09]

Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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On 9 March, 2009, there were 3,790 prisoners in custody as compared to a bed capacity of 3,611. This represents an occupancy level of 105%. The following table provides a breakdown of the population of each prison/place of detention on 9 March, 2009:

The prison system is, of course, subject to peaks and troughs. As the Deputy will appreciate numbers are particularly high when the courts are at their busiest, giving rise to a high number of committals. There has been a consistent increase in the total prisoner population over recent years. This situation is particularly apparent over the past 12 months, where we have seen dramatic increases in the number of sentenced prisoners, those being committed on remand and a trend towards longer sentences. What is clear is that there is a trend of increased committals from the courts.

It has to be acknowledged that the Irish Prison Service must accept all prisoners committed by the Courts. Figures show, over the past 12 years, the numbers in custody have increased by 65%. This can be attributed, in part, to greater resourcing of the Gardaí, more stringent legislation, detection and prosecution of crimes.

Whilst I acknowledge that prison overcrowding is an issue I equally would say that the continuation of the current capital programme is necessary to deal with the overcrowding problem in the future so that we can build on the significant progress made over the last decade or so in improving and modernising our prisons.

Since 1997 in excess of 1,300 prison spaces have come on stream in the prison system. These include the new prisons in Castlerea, the Midlands, Cloverhill, the Dóchas Centre and new accommodation in Limerick Prison.

However, given the serious pressure that the Irish Prison Service has been experiencing during the last 12-18 months, in 2008 it became necessary to introduce additional contingency accommodation through the doubling up of cells in Mountjoy, Wheatfield, Cloverhill, Midlands and Arbour Hill Prisons and in the Training Unit. This provided 180 temporary bed spaces.

As the pressure shows no sign of abating the Irish Prison Service recently decided to increase their capacities through the doubling up of further cells, thus creating 200 additional temporary bed spaces which will come on stream shortly.

In 2008, 70 new prison spaces were introduced at Shelton Abbey and Loughan House Open Centres. Furthermore, building projects in Castlerea, Wheatfield and Portlaoise Prisons are due to be completed in the coming months. This will create an additional 400 extra spaces which will temporarily alleviate the situation pending the construction of new prisons at Thornton Hall, Co. Dublin and Kilworth, Co. Cork.