Prison Service Covid-19 effort praised – but fears prison numbers set to rise 

Irish Penal Reform Trust Executive director Fíona Ní Chinnéide: 'The number of those held ‘on remand’ in our prisons is rising at a concerning level.' Picture: Derek Speirs/IPRT/PA Wire

Penal reformers have commended the Irish Prison Service for its “significant success” in keeping the prison population largely safe from Covid-19.

But the Irish Penal Reform Trust said the measures taken by the IPS, including a reduction in prisoner numbers, are now at risk as the courts begin to “clear a backlog of cases”.