Cabinet must release funding to tackle prison overcrowding within '12 to 18 months', minister warns

There were 5,344 prisoners in custody on Wednesday, in spaces for 4,666 people — meaning 678 people had to be crammed into cells. Picture: Dan Linehan/Stock

Justice minister Jim O’Callaghan has said the overcrowding crisis is “his responsibility” to address, and that the Government must tackle the issue.

Speaking at the annual conference of the Prison Officers’ Association, Mr O’Callaghan said extra spaces are “urgently needed” and that his Cabinet colleagues had to release funding to tackle the problem within the “next 12 to 18 months”.

The association has said overcrowding is creating a “potentially explosive situation”, warning that a tragedy or some other crisis will happen if no action is taken.

There were 5,344 prisoners in custody on Wednesday, in spaces for 4,666 people — meaning 678 people had to be crammed into cells.

Of these, 358 were on mattresses on the floor and 320 inmates on bunk beds. The number of mattresses on Wednesday was more than twice the number on the same day last year (174).

The number of prisoners in custody has jumped by 17% between April 30, 2023, and April 30, 2025  — 4,568 to 5,344 — while the number of inmates given temporary release has shot up by 53%, 389 to 594.

In the same time period around 250 extra spaces (+6%) have been created in the system.

'Revolving door'

Association president Tony Power told the conference in Galway that the “revolving door” is back in prisons.

“Anyone serving less than eight months for a non-violent crime is getting temporary release,” he said.

Giving examples, he said that on one landing in Midlands Prison there were 90 prisoners in 33 cells. He added that 25 of them were sleeping on a mattress on the floor.

“Simon Harris told us two years ago that he had secured funding for 600 spaces. Last year, Helen McEntee told us she secured funding for 670 spaces — but not a sod has been turned on any of these,” Mr Power said.

He questioned where Mr O’Callaghan was going to be able to bring 1,500 spaces on board within the next five years as per the programme for government.

We don’t know where he is going to get them unless he reopens the Curragh, refurbishes [the old] Cork prison or E Block [in Portlaoise] which has 160 cells and houses five

He said the Prison Officers' Associations had suggested these developments over the years.

Association general secretary Karl Dalton said that, in meetings with officials, they were told that with the procurement process it would take “at least eight years” to bring a new prison on board.

Budget provisions

Mr O’Callaghan said that, while the prison estate is growing, it is not increasing at the rate “that is urgently needed”.

He said €525m was provided in Budget 2025 to tackle overcrowding and increase capacity.

Talking to the media, the minister said he accepted there is a crisis.

“This is an issue that is my responsibility, the Government has to address this issue,” he said.

I’m going to bring forward proposals for accelerating the process so we can get more spaces

He said it is his task to explain the nature of the crisis and get funding “immediately to address it over the next 12 to 18 months”.

The minister said he is also proposing amendments to the Community Safety Act which would double the length of prison sentence — from 12 to 24 months — that a judge could substitute for with community service.