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IRELAND’S PRISON SERVICE is close to reaching its maximum capacity, with some prisons already over-capacity.
The Inspector of Prisons recommended that there should be a maximum of 3,982 prisoners in custody this year. As of 16 November, this figure stood at 3,739, or 94% of the advised total.
A full breakdown of capacity, number in custody and percentage of bed capacity is set out in the below table:
Justice Minister Francis Fitzgerald revealed the figures in the Dáil recently, in response to a parliamentary question from Bernard Durkan.
The average number of prisoners in custody in Ireland has risen in recent years, from 3,321 in 2007 to 4,318 during 2012 – an increase of over 30%.
Likewise, the total number of committals to prison has also risen sharply during the same period, from 11,934 in 2007 to 17,026 in 2012 – an increase of over 43%.
The first significant decrease in prison numbers since 2007 took place in 2013, when there were 15,735 committals to prison – a decrease of 7.6% on the 2012 figure.
Women’s prisons
Fitzgerald said that the Irish Prison Service and Probation Service have developed a strategy which ensures “a more targeted response to women offenders which it is hoped will reduce overcrowding in female prisons”.
These measures include strengthening early intervention measures in the community; exploring the potentials of women-centric alternatives to custody; and developing a suitable step-down facility for women offenders in centres such as the Dochas Centre in Mountjoy.
Fitzgerald noted that a 40-month capital programme is being implemented to eliminate slopping out and to improve prison conditions. Slopping out in Mountjoy Prison will end next year, once refurbishment work is complete.
Construction on a new prison to replace the existing facility in Cork is due to be completed in the third quarter of 2015. Designs are currently being drawn up to redevelop Limerick Prison.
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Irish Language Act promised since 2006 by the British Government. The DUP won’t budge on it, and the UK government need to act unilaterally. DUP – British when it suits them, “Ulstermen” when it doesn’t.
How can Wales and Scotland get language legislation, but the north can’t? If the DUP want to represent “British values”, then they should take heed from Britain where language legislation for indigenous languages like Welsh and Gaidhlig exists.
@Seán Ó Briain: most people I know, South and North don’t really care much for this kind of thing. Just political chess playing and grand standing
@Nigel o’Neill: ok, thanks. Maybe you should meet new people.
@John kane: and you live where John?
@Nigel o’Neill:Beats me anyone that is standing up for a language that has its semi conscious face in the water. Political grandstanding, no substance.
@Nigel o’Neill: That’s cool, but this isn’t about “people” you “know”. It’s about a promise by the British government to create an Irish language act as part of a power-sharing agreement and failing to deliver on it.
It’s about equality for Irish language speakers and not treating them as second class citizens when compared to Scottish Gaelic or Welsh speakers.
It’s about protecting the indigenous language of this island, irrespective of whether you personally care about it. There is a vibrant Irish language community in the north, 35 gaelscoileanna in the north, and multiple Irish language community centres.
What’s the point of Britain making agreements if they won’t uphold the promises made in order for them to be agreed?
@Seán Ó Briain: promises? Don’t matter a damm to Boris.
And we are supposed to give up our flag, national anthem etc for these lot in the event of a united Ireland?
@Munster1: If you think for one minute the the tricolour & anthem is all you will be giving up the you are in for a rude awakening my friend.
@Munster1: they’re not all of NI and in answer to the question, yes, yes we will.
@Justin Gillespie: Yes Munster 1 , you are going to have to give up Partition too, the root of all our problems for past 100 years! and that might even upset some like Justin who never suffered a day by partition because he is alright jack and couldnt give a hoot how Partition hurt others.
Justin suffers with the same narrow ailment that many unionists have – called ‘I hold what I have’. not an inch!
@Justin Gillespie: I really don’t know where you’re going with that. The overwhelming majority won’t be acceding to anything like you’re implying. After all, Northern Ireland joining Ireland will require a majority in Ireland in favour. That won’t happen if there’s any commonwealth nonsense or any kind of dual flag. It will be a United, sovereign Ireland – nothing else will pass. Sovereign nation (86% of island) > former statelet of U.K. , non – sovereign (14% of island). Never going to be a marriage of equals.
Just what do you think we’ll also have to give up?
@Justin Gillespie: lol the triclolour represents the Orange / Protestant tradition on the island. Perhaps you just hadn’t noticed that and prefer to speculate absolute codswallop
@Angela McCarthy: the root of most of our problems for the past 100 years and more so in recent years lies within Leinster House, if you hadn’t noticed
@LiamMac2018: someone speaking from an educated and sensible standpoint, thank crunchie
Someone has got to stand up to this not an inch mentality from the DUP.
The DUP despise everything Irish, language included.SF need to stand their ground on the irish language act, native languages are protected UK.
SF should realise that what the language needs is people speaking it public ie in the supermarket and on public transport. They should take the language out of the control of the academics of “ Conra” obsessed with grammar etc
@Richard Russell: Like you do every day Richard? I think you should realise this is much bigger that an SF matter, or a nationalist matter. There are now Gaelscoil’s in loyalist East Belfast. Only a language act will protect that developing situation.
Time for an election. If it is brought on by the premature ending of the Executive it will be a plague on sf and DUP. On sf for not nominating over an act that would be put in place when pandemic is over and on the DUP for allowing them have a contrived excuse to pull the plug. Would be great to see the more moderates do well in the next elections in Northern Ireland such as Alliance and SDLP.
Sinn fein rattling the cage.between now and the next ten months they are going for elections in the north.the unionist vote is in smithereens.first minister will be Michelle o Neill and it will be easily passed then.so sinn fein are just playing a waiting game here.intresting times ahead over next few years in the north
And we are supposed to give up our flag, national anthem etc for these lot in the event of a united Ireland? What a load of nonsense
@Munster1: I honestly don’t believe that the DUPs politicians are truly representative of the vast majority of people who come from loyalist/unionist tradition communities. The vast majority of those people are progressive.
@#FreePalestine: well they are the most popular unionist party
Gowon home
Ah, but this allows a “finely balanced” dig at both, since the DUP didn’t support the GFA that gave rise to devolution in the first place, and Sinn Féin haven taken their seats at Westminster that’d allow them to help pass this language legislation over there.
@Mick Tobin: No it wouldn’t. Do you not know how the English parliament works?
@Mick Tobin: “Sinn Féin haven taken their seats at Westminster that’d allow them to help pass this language legislation over there.”
That’s false. Language is a devolved matter, there wouldn’t be a vote on it in Westminster. And since the DUP will never implement it in a devolved manner, it’s up to the UK government to act and implement one.
One problem with a United Ireland is the additional cost of supplying DUP members, voters and their terrorist chums with either cushioned pavements or gloves to prevent knuckle damage as they walk about our beautiful country.
Most of the people in the north are English so why would they won’t a foreign language imposed on them? We don’t even speak Irish in the south, if the shinners won’t to speak Irish so they should every day, every meeting they attend let them! There’s trouble brewing up North for July 12 .
@Heisen berg1: wrong on many counts. None of them are English. Some are Irish, some identify as British.
@Heisen berg1: People in the north of Ireland are Irish,think you will find most English live in England not Ireland.
@Heisen berg1: The English language was imposed on the Irish. There was a time when it was illegal to speak Irish. Nobody is trying to make people learn or speak it who don’t wish too, but for those who do want to learn and speak then there should be opportunity
Ulster has been saying No since day one, to hell with them, offer them NADA Leo
@Charles Coughlan: only part of Ulster say no.
have your say