Eoghan Kenny (Cork North-Central, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context

639. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality to outline his plans to improve capacity issues in the Irish prison service given The Irish Penal Reform Trust has identified that the prison population is exceeding capacity and it is leading to cramped and undignified conditions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37350/25]

Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

I am acutely aware of the capacity constraints in our prisons, and of the challenges faced by those who work and live in our prisons as a result. The current Programme for Government commits to increasing the capacity of our prisons by 1,500 spaces. The Irish Prison Service have already begun work to achieve this. Since January 2022, capacity across the prison estate has been increased by more than 370 new spaces, with 126 delivered in 2024, 40 delivered to date in 2025 with plans to deliver a further 101 additional spaces by the end of this year.

Budget 2025 increased overall funding for the Irish Prison Service by €79m (18%) compared to 2024, bringing the total allocated to nearly €525m. This increase is to fund measures to address overcrowding, including a capital budget of €53m which is €22.5m more than the original 2024 allocation.

Supported by the increased budget, the Irish Prison Service also aims to recruit up to 300 prison officers in 2025, in addition to the 271 prison officers recruited in 2024.

The Future Prison Capacity Working Group was established in the second half of 2024 to further consider future prison capacity needs and to make recommendations on the numbers and types of prison capacity needed out to 2035. The Group’s report was published on Friday 4 July.

Overall, the Irish Prison Service's renewed capital plan has the potential to deliver 1,595 spaces through making optimal use of existing sites, including redevelopment of the Old Cork Prison. It is considered to be a relatively cost effective and efficient path to provide additional prison accommodation. The plan includes significant refurbishment and upgrade works within the footprint of the existing prison estate, and includes proposals for the construction of new extension blocks.

I can further advise the Deputy that I have proposed to accelerate the delivery of 960 of the additional spaces in Castlerea, Midlands Wheatfield and Mountjoy prisons by moving straight to the second approval gate of the Infrastructure Guidelines. Subject to the necessary funding for these projects being secured through the National Development Plan, this measure will speed up delivery timelines by 12 to 18 months.

Action is being taken by the Irish Prison Service on a daily basis to manage overcrowding through a combination of inter-prison transfers where capacity is available and structured Temporary Release. Decisions in relation to temporary release are considered on a case by case basis and the safety of the public is paramount when those decisions are made.

I am committed to progressing and implementing policies aimed at increasing the use of community sanctions, that reduce offending, divert people away from imprisonment, and provide effective rehabilitation.

In April, I approved the publication of the Community Service - New Directions Implementation Plan 2025-2027 by the Probation Service. This plan sets out commitments to drive the delivery and support the increased use of Community Service as a robust and meaningful alternative to imprisonment. Engagement with the Judiciary, imbedding the principles of desistence, restorative justice and social justice, and increasing the visibility and accessibility of Community Service are part of this plan.

In June 2024 following on from the report of the Prison Overcrowding Response Group a range of actions to address prison overcrowding was agreed. Among these actions was the introduction in 2024 of a pilot Structured Temporary Release Scheme for suitable candidates in Limerick Women’s Prison. Recognising the positive impact of the pilot so far, the eligibility criteria for the scheme is now being extended on a phased basis to include more women in the prison.

Another of these actions is to amend legislation to increase the maximum number of hours that can be imposed under a community service order from 240 to 480 hours. The amendment will also require a judge to consider a community service order if a sentence of up to two years is being considered, rather than the current one year requirement. These amendments have been included in the General Scheme of the Criminal Law and Civil Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2025 which I published on 6 May 2025.

The Bill also includes a range of measures which will bring welcome changes across a range of areas, improving operational capacity in our prisons and bolstering sentencing options to reduce reliance on custodial sentences.

In Budget 2025, the Probation Service received an additional €4 million, bringing their total budget to over €60 million. This is to fund the expansion of crime-diversion programmes, support step-down facilities, restorative justice, and community-based alternatives to imprisonment.

The Programme for Government also commits to implement electronic monitoring for appropriate categories of offender. I would like to assure the Deputy that work is underway to operationalise electronic monitoring in line with existing legislative provisions. An initial rollout of electronic monitoring is planned for later this year following a procurement exercise to select a service provider.

Taken together, these actions demonstrate that this Government and I are committed to delivering one of the fastest-ever expansions of prison capacity in Ireland and increasing and enhancing community based alternatives to imprisonment.