A man who was serving a prison sentence for assault and violent disorder was caught with a mobile phone in his cell and was sent back to jail for two months for the crime.

Prison staff in the country’s newest jail could face disciplinary action after an inmate was accidentally locked outside in the exercise yard overnight.

Cormac O’Keeffe visits the new Cork Prison which is due to open by the end of the year. With larger cells, a Visits Garden with a play area for children, among other facilities , it is hoped the new prison will offer a healthier environment for prisoners and their families than current conditions at the existing prison which have been widely condemned

Expansion plans for Cork Prison which include double occupancy cells have been described as “regrettable and regressive” by the Irish Penal Reform Trust.

Tenders are being sought to build a new multimillion euro prison in Cork.