Inmates receive €580,000 in loans from prison service for items such as games consoles 

A man holds an Xbox 360 controller. An inmate at Limerick Prison received a loan of €300 to purchase an Xbox games console.

Convicted criminals have received nearly €580,000 in interest-free loans from the Irish Prison Service in the past four years, new figures have revealed.

The loans are provided at the discretion of prison governors and used for a wide variety of purposes, including the purchase of games consoles and stereos.