Helen McEntee announces over 600 extra prison spaces to address capacity issues

The pledge comes days ahead of a Simon Harris Ard Fheis speech that will stress a pledge to end the revolving-door in prisons by providing extra accommodation for inmates.

Ms McEntee will outline that, despite concerns expressed by prison officers about overcrowding, she has secured additional capital funding of €93m for major on-site building projects.

Preliminary work will begin this year on four key projects in Cloverhill, Castlerea, Midlands and Mountjoy prisons as part of accelerated capital construction.

Many prison campuses have additional unused space, now targeted for Justice projects under the National Development Plan 2024-2026.

Ms McEntee says key priorities for a spend that will approach a billion euro in time include “further increasing prison capacity, opening new Garda stations and delivering key technology projects for An Garda Síochána.”

She said last night: “This funding is the very welcome result of extensive negotiations which have been ongoing for some time.

“It will now allow us to deliver on a number of very significant commitments across the Justice sector. The significant allocation for the Irish Prison Service will allow it to address current capacity issues within our prison system.”

This would “ensure that it is fit-for-purpose for a growing population in the years to come,” she said, “building upon the increases in prison spaces already being delivered this year through a range of short term projects”.

An extra allocation for An Garda Síochána will allow it to expand upon the technological innovations, she added.

“This is important as it has been a priority of mine since becoming Minister for Justice to improve the tech available to Gardaí, in order to better support them as they continue to protect and serve our communities.

“Just over half the €93m funding is being allocated to further increase cell capacity and address “current capacity constraints” in the Prison Estate.

When completed, space for up to 670 prisoners will be created. The Irish Prison Service is meanwhile advancing some short-term projects that will provide an additional 95 spaces this year.

Minister McEntee told the Irish Prison Service: “We have a plan to grow the size of our prison estate for the first time in a decade.

“We will ensure that we have a prison estate big enough to hold those who cause damage and misery in our communities.

“Hundreds of new prison places are being created.”

It is important to review plan for additional capacity, given increasing populations in Ireland, she said — together with the intended introduction of some higher maximum prison sentences.

These higher terms will be imposed for assault causing harm and conspiracy to murder, “which will have impacts on the amount of time people spend in prison,” the minister said.

“It is also an announcement I am glad to be able to make on a day on which I will be welcoming a new class of prison officer graduates.

“This allocation sends the message to those new recruits, and to their colleagues across the IPS, that we value their contribution and are improving their working and living conditions.”

Minister McEntee said she had also secured additional funding for the roll-out of body worn cameras. They are key to protecting front line Gardaí, she said, and to assisting them in gathering evidence for prosecutions.

“My priority is to see bodycams on Gardaí in Dublin City Centre, in Waterford and in Limerick ahead of a full nationwide roll-out. I am working with the Commissioner to make sure that will become a reality before the Summer.”

There will be Garda station works in Slane, Co Meath and Abbeyleix, Co Laois and new Garda stations in Bailieborough, Co Cavan, Macroom Co Cork, Clonmel, Co Tipperary and Portlaoise, Co Laois.

The construction of brand new state of the art Garda stations in Portlaoise, Clonmel, Macroom, Bailieborough are also “strategic priorities,” Ms McEntee said.

The Irish Prison Service must accept all prisoners committed by the courts and has no control over the numbers committed to custody.

In 2023, there were 7,946 people committed to prison - an increase of 13pc on the equivalent figure of 7,043 in 2022, and up 30pc on the 6,133 jailed in 2021.

The overall daily average number of prisoners in custody in 2023 was 4,583 - an 11pc increase when compared to 2022, and 15.4pc higher than in pre-Covid times.

Yesterday there were 4,914 people in prison — 109pc of overall capacity. Over the course of 2023, a total of 3,271 were remanded in custody awaiting trial, a massive increase of 21pc on 2022.

Where the number of prisoners exceeds the maximum capacity in any prison, the Irish Prison Service says it makes every effort to address the issue through a combination of inter-prison transfers and the "judicious selection" of suitable candidates for Temporary Release.