Prison security - Cuts must not endanger inmates

The murder in Mountjoy prison this week raises serious issues about security in our prisons, especially given the current industrial unrest among prison officers. Prison authorities justifiably claim that such murders are rare in Irish prisons, and it is important that this should remain so.

This was only the second prison murder in living memory, but the other was in 2000. It is to be hoped that this is not the start of a trend.

The State is ultimately responsible for the welfare of prisoners. The economies introduced should not leave prisoners vulnerable to attacks, or contribute to the even more disconcerting implications of attempted suicides in prison.