Prison service says it is facing 'significant challenges'

The Irish Prison Service has said it is facing "significant challenges" due a rising prison population.

The daily average number of prisoners in Irish jails last year increased by 11.1% on the previous year, from a daily population of 4,122 to 4,582.

In its annual report for 2023, the IPS said the increase, "coupled with a growing number of prisoners serving longer sentences, continues to place pressure on the prison system".

The IPS annual report also showed the daily average number of female offenders in custody last year increased by 23.7%, from 173 in 2022 to 214.

Across the year, there were 7,938 committals to prison, representing an increase of 895 or a 12.7% rise compared to 2022.

When broken down, the committals related to 6,495 people, which is up by 11.9% on the number of people committed to prison in 2022.

A total of 87.9% of those committed last year were male, while 12.1% were female.

The Irish Prison Service said the figures, coupled with the increasing length of sentences, "has had a considerable impact on prison capacity, highlighting the need for continued investment in infrastructure and resources to maintain safe and effective prison conditions".

"To respond to this growing demand, the Irish Prison Service has made progress in expanding its prison estate," the report said.

The IPS said Limerick Prison B Division was officially opened in 2023, which it said provided "much needed additional capacity".

"This facility not only improves conditions for those in custody but also enhances the working environment for staff.

"In addition, the opening of a new dedicated female prison at Limerick Prison is another key development aimed at addressing the specific needs of female offenders, further expanding capacity and improving the quality of care provided to female prisoners," it said.

The capital funding allocation to the Irish Prison Service for next year has significantly increased on last year as part of the efforts "to enhance infrastructure and increase capacity".

"In Budget 2025, €525 million has been secured to tackle overcrowding, an 18% increase from the previous year."

The IPS said there are plans to create over 1,100 new prison spaces by 2030.

The annual report also showed that there was "a notable increase in committals for the non-payment of fines, rising from 205 in 2022 to 552 in 2023".

Its annual report also showed there were 127 committals in 2023 related to immigration issues, representing an 8.6% increase on the previous year, while 27 people were committed under European Arrest Warrants.

In total, 79.3% of offenders committed were Irish nationals, 10.8% were EU nationals, with 3.4% African nationals.

The Irish Prison Service said it made "notable strides towards improving the welfare of both prisoners and staff" in 2023.

It included the introduction of the Irish Prison Service Strategic Plan 2023-2027 and the Irish Prison Service Drug Strategy 2023-2026, which it says, "set the roadmap for the organisation's future work in areas such as reducing drug-related harm within the prison system and enhancing rehabilitative services for those in custody".

The Director General of the Irish Prison Service, Caron McCaffrey, said 2023 was "a year of significant achievement for the Irish Prison Service, as we continue to uphold our mission to provide a safe, secure, and rehabilitative environment for all those in our care".

"Our focus on improving the welfare of prisoners, coupled with our commitment to enhancing the professional development of our staff, underpins our core values of safety, dignity, and rehabilitation."