Gardaí refused almost all requests for transfer of high-risk prisoners last year

Transfers are generally only sought in cases involving paramilitary prisoners, serious gangland criminals, or those who are considered a high escape risk. File picture

Gardaí refused all but one request from the Irish Prison Service last year for the transfer of high-security or escape risk prisoners between jails.

Prison bosses wrote to gardaí on 65 occasions last year seeking an “inter-prison transfer”, according to records released under Freedom of Information.

However, only a single one of those requests was agreed to, as the Covid-19 pandemic bit into the resources available to An Garda Síochána.

It was a dramatic change on previous years when requests for an armed escort were much more likely to be agreed to.

In 2019, 75 inter-prison transfers were sought by the Prison Service, of which 10 were agreed to and 65 were refused.

A year earlier, the rate of refusal was lower again, when 65 transfers were sought and gardaí agreed to provide an armed escort for 23 of them.

The transfers are generally only sought in cases involving paramilitary prisoners, serious gangland criminals, or those who are considered a high escape risk.

One prison source said: 'It was a very unusual year and the amount of activity of all types was down, where virtual sittings were being used to avoid moving people around.'

Asked about why the number of escorts being granted had fallen so much, the Irish Prison Service said it was a matter for gardaí, who decided whether it was appropriate or not.

However, the reasons for seeking armed assistance have not changed and they are only sought where it was felt there was an operational need.

Decrease in movement of prisoners

One prison source said there had been a decrease last year in the movement of all prisoners between prisons and courts around the country.

Many court hearings had been held virtually, while the Covid-19 pandemic had seen short-sentence and low-risk prisoners released, meaning managing capacity was less of an issue than had been the case in previous years.

One prison source said: “It was a very unusual year and the amount of activity of all types was down, where virtual sittings were being used to avoid moving people around.

The prisons were a lot quieter, with far less drugs around, and it’s actually going to be a shock to the system for some of our newer officers whenever things return to normal.” 

A Garda spokesman said: “The provision of armed escorts for high-security prisons is an operational and security matter which is decided by An Garda Síochána.

“Requests are assessed by An Garda Síochána and decisions made based on such threat assessment.”