The number of Irish people serving prison sentences overseas has more than doubled in the past three years, to 1,054 known cases and they often endure extreme hardship.

Plans to drastically cut legal aid for convicted criminals will destroy prison law, a Catholic agency has warned.

Taoiseach Enda Kenny was heckled by protesters when he arrived in Killarney, Co Kerry, for the presentation of a humanitarian award on Saturday night.

The Government today allocated €218,000 funding towards the welfare of Irish people in foreign prisons.

Hundreds of Irish citizens jailed in Britain could be facing deportation upon release despite having lived there for years, it was claimed today.

Irish emigrants are more at risk of going to prison in Britain due to the advent of tough sentencing policies, it was claimed today.

Many of the estimated 900 Irish prisoners in UK jails suffer discrimination and endure lives of quiet desperation, it was claimed today.