Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Aontú)
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1043.To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the number of persons who are currently in prison in the State.[33794/24]

Carol Nolan (Laois-Offaly, Independent)
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1156.To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality to provide details on current official inmate capacity within the prison system; the number of persons currently imprisoned in both male and female prisons; and if she will make a statement on the matter.[35227/24]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 1043 and 1156 together.

The current official prisoner capacity within the prison system is 4,519. As at 9^thSeptember 2024, there were 4,938 people in custody.

The number of people in custody is published on a daily basis and is available on the Irish Prison Service website, www.irishprisons.ie. This information can be located in the Information Centre – under Statistics & Information – Daily Prisoner Population.

The table below provides the number of both male and female prisoners in custody as at 9 September 2024:

It is for the courts to determine if a custodial sentence is required, and the IPS must accept into custody all people committed to prison by the Courts.

The Prison Service is working closely with officials in my Department to take steps to ensure a safe working environment for staff, and the safety and security of people in custody.

They are also working to identify short, medium, and long-term proposals to manage capacity issues in our prisons as they arise.

Government has made significant capital funding available to the Irish Prison Service to enhance the existing prison infrastructure and provide additional capacity.

A total Capital funding allocation of €159m for the years 2024 to 2026, which includes an increase of €49.5m in the most recent NDP allocations to assist towards bringing on stream accommodation for over 1,100 people between 2024 and 2030.

Short term projects are being progressed which are expected to deliver accommodation for over 150 people in 2024. The Prison Service are also engaged with the Defence Forces to assess the feasibility of bringing the Curragh Military Prison into use.

In recent years, capacity across the prison estate has been increased by more than 200 additional spaces through the reopening of the Training Unit in Mountjoy, the opening of new male accommodation in Limerick and the new standalone female prison in Limerick.

In July 2023, I established a Prison Overcrowding Response Group, composed of officials from the Department of Justice and representatives from relevant agencies, to identify measures to address capacity issues in the prison estate. In June 2024, on foot of a report from this Group, I approved 12 actions and work to implement these is ongoing.

In addition, and to further consider future prison capacity needs, I have established a new Working Group which will make recommendations on the numbers and types of prison capacity needed out to 2035. This Group will also make recommendations on the future use of the site at Thornton Hall.

Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Aontú)
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1044.To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the number of persons who are currently in prison in the State who previously served time in prison for an offence in the past.[33795/24]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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I am advised by the Irish Prison Service that a snapshot analysis of the prison population is conducted on the last day of each month. The most recent analysis was conducted on 31 July 2024 and it is this analysis which has been used to provide the information requested by the Deputy.

On the 31^stJuly 2024, the total number of people in custody was 5,048. Of these, 3,385 previously served time in prison.