Sharp rise in prisoners sharing exposed toilets in cells 'degrading' prisons inspector says

Chief Inspector of Prisons Mark Kelly said: It is disheartening to note the sharp increase in the number of people living in prison who are now being obliged to urinate and defecate in the presence of other human beings. File picture: Dan Linehan

The prisons inspector has said urgent action is needed to stop a “precipitous backslide” in sanitary conditions in jails after figures revealed a sharp rise in prisoners sharing exposed toilets in cells.

The Irish Examiner reported this week that two out of three prisoners are going to the toilet in front of other cellmates — compared to half of prisoners just two years ago.

The huge increase is directly due to chronic prison overcrowding, with numbers rising by 20% in two years, from 4,618 in October 2023 to 5,556 inmates in October 2025.

A ‘Census Report’ published by the Irish Prison Service (IPS) shows this has resulted in a 35% increase in the number of prisoners sharing a toilet in cells (from 2,369 to 3,653 inmates).

Parallel with that is a 38% increase in the number of prisoners in cells holding four or more inmates and a 150% jump in the number of prisoners in cells with three people.

Chief Inspector of Prisons Mark Kelly said: “It took a long time for Ireland to eradicate the disgusting practice of prisoners ‘slopping out’ pails of human waste, in favour of providing more dignified sanitary arrangements in cells.

It is therefore disheartening to note the sharp increase in the number of people living in prison who are now being obliged to urinate and defecate in the presence of other human beings.

He added: “This can only be described as degrading. Non-retrogression is an important human rights principle, and urgent action is required to halt this precipitous backslide in sanitary conditions in our prisons.” 

The Irish Penal Reform Trust said the European Council for the Prevention of Torture has called for “fully partitioned” toilets in cells for decades.

“With current levels of overcrowding, there is no end in sight for people having to use exposed toilets in front of others, in a tiny cell where they also have to eat, sleep and spend the majority of their time,” Irish Penal Reform Trust executive director Saoirse Brady said.

“With three- and four-person cells increasing sharply, people are living in conditions that fall below basic human rights norms. Until the Government takes decisive action to address overcrowding, this breach of fundamental rights is set to continue.” 

The Department of Justice said the National Development Plan was funding the construction of 1,500 spaces by 2031.

As part of that, it said justice minister Jim O’Callaghan had on Tuesday announced a new extension was being built at Dóchas Women’s Prison, providing 52 new spaces, bringing capacity to 224.

He said construction would start next month with “practical completion” expected in the final quarter of 2027.

The IPS said since the programme for government came into effect, 232 new prison spaces had been delivered, with capital funding to introduce “a further 65 spaces in 2026 and 70 in 2027”.

On a related matter, the prison inspector and the Irish Penal Reform Trust welcomed the publication of the third progress report on the High Level Task Force on mental health, addiction and the criminal justice system.

Mr Kelly said there “is still a severe lack” of clinical options for prisoners to access mental health care outside jails, including in the Central Mental Hospital.

Ms Brady noted some progress in the third report, including the joint Garda-mental health Community Access Support Team (Cast) in Limerick.

But she said they were still waiting for “adequate and appropriate diversion” for prisoners with mental illness and said forensic capacity remained “inadequate”.