Justice Minister Charlie Flanagan has said he is concerned at the “contents” of a report by the Inspector of Prisons into allegations of illegal surveillance of prison officers.

At least 500 victims as young as two were abused by the shamed television presenter Jimmy Savile during his reign as one of the UK's most prolific sex offenders, new research shows.

Prison officers in the North have agreed to reforms intended to overhaul the much-criticised service.

Prison officers in Mountjoy returned to work tonight after a dispute over an inmate being taken out of solitary confinement.

The Prison Service has confirmed that a blocking system on prisoners' phones will be operational in the Midlands Prison next month and in Portlaoise in four months time.

Prison officers are to mount a one-hour work stoppage today to as part of a dispute over new security screening measures.

The Prison Officers' Association (POA) has decided against strike action at Cloverhill Prison in west Dublin following an emergency meeting of the national executive today.

The Prison Officers' Association (POA) is meeting today to discuss possible industrial action at Cloverhill Prison in Dublin.

A 24-year-old man has died after being stabbed by a fellow prisoner on a landing in Dublin's Mountjoy Jail yesterday evening.

The director of the Irish Prison Service says assaults within the country's jails are inevitable.

PRISON officers yesterday took a step closer to accepting a deal to end the long-running overtime dispute.

JUSTICE Minister Michael McDowell last night threatened to privatise new jails unless prison officers accept his pay offer within 10 days.

The Department of Justice has reportedly reacted cautiously to a set of proposals put forward by the Prison Officers' Association yesterday in an effort to resolve their long-running overtime dispute.

The on-going dispute with the Government in relation to the overtime bill in Irish prisons is expected to dominate the agenda at the annual conference of the Prison Officers' Association in Mayo today.

JUSTICE Minister Michael McDowell yesterday warned prison officers contemplating strike action: "You can't beat City Hall on this one."

Cormac O’Keeffe

PRISON officers look set to reject the proposed deal to end the long-running overtime dispute.

THE Government has rowed back on plans to extend a successful prison rehabilitation project into all jails, according to a leading criminal expert.

PENAL reformers yesterday told UN drug chiefs that clean needles should be made available in prisons to cut the spread of infectious diseases, such as hepatitis and HIV.

PEOPLE from outside Ireland now account for one in five of all those sent to prison, new figures show.

"DAD their going to kill me because of you". That was the chilling message kidnappers sent to a prison officer in Limerick after they abducted his son.

ACCORDING to recent media reports, the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform’s plans for new prisons include reviewing the future of St Patrick’s Institution.

PRISON officers are becoming increasingly confused by Justice Minister Michael McDowell’s jail reform plans and wish he would bring them up to speed on his proposals.

THE prison overtime row has taken a potentially explosive twist amid claims that staff who receive big payments have grown accustomed to a lifestyle epitomised by big houses, big mortgages, big cars and foreign holidays.

MOUNTJOY governor John Lonergan has described the prison overtime bill as "absolutely crazy"..

THE Government should stop threatening prison officers with privatisation, if they fail to accept an offer on overtime, a top criminal expert said yesterday.

PLANS to close the State’s two remaining open prisons were criticised yesterday.

JUSTICE Minister Michael McDowell yesterday told prison officers he would go ahead with slashing the €60 million overtime bill.

JUSTICE MINISTER Michael McDowell yesterday said there needed to be a compromise regarding the implementation of the smoking ban in prisons.

SMOKING in prisons should be banned on a phased basis, the prison services director general Seán Aylward said yesterday.

A PRISONER serving eight years for aggravated burglary and assault has been accused of punching and kicking an officer so badly that he will remain in hospital until tomorrow.

PRISON officers are drawing up plans for a series of wildcat strikes if Justice Minister Michael McDowell cuts their €60m overtime bill.

Prison officers at Castlerea Prison in Co Roscommon are expected to engage in a one-hour work stoppage this afternoon as part of a long-running dispute with prison management.

Proposals from Justice Minister Michael McDowell to cut the huge cost of running the prisons service must not merely be an exercise in saving money, but must guarantee a satisfactory level of staffing.

Northern Ireland prison officers are today staging protests outside jails to demand help from the government after officers' names were found on a suspected IRA list.