Profits of €700k for prison tuck shops

Bumper sales of cut-price Tayto Cheese & Onion crisps, bottles of Coca Cola, Jelly Tots, and cigarettes helped profits at the prison service’s network of tuck shops jump to €700,000 last year.

Figures released by the Irish Prison Service in response to a Freedom of Information request show at one tuck shop alone — at the Midlands prison — revenues topped the €1.19m mark.

Tuck shops operate a monopoly on the trade of cigarettes, soft drinks, newspapers, sweets, and crisps in prisons.