C&AG: Prisons overspent by €24m last year in response to 'rapidly rising' prisoner numbers

In its report, the Comptroller & Auditor General said overtime and extra allowance costs across prisons jumped from €53.5m in 2023 to €61.8m in 2024. File picture: Dan Linehan

The Irish Prison Service (IPS) overspent by €24m in 2024 as it scrambled to respond to “rapidly rising” prisoner numbers by creating new cells, providing more food, and paying extra security costs, the State’s spending watchdog has said.

The number of compensation cases involving prison officers, prisoners, and the public jumped from 478 in 2023 to 634 in 2024 — with payments and legal costs rising from €4.5m to €7.3m.