Cork Prison consistently over capacity for past two years according to new data

Cork Prison’s population has risen by nearly 39% in the last five years, new data has shown.

Figures provided to Fianna Fáil TD for Cork North-Central Pádraig O’Sullivan show that the daily average in custody in 2024 was 335, compared to 306 in 2023, 262 in 2022 and 255 in 2021.

This means that the prison has been consistently over capacity for the last two years, as the maximum number of prisoners it is designed to accommodate is 296.

The number has risen further in the first three months of 2025, with the average for the year so far currently 354.

This is 6% higher than last year’s average and means that an average of 58 people have been sleeping on the floor in Cork Prison every day this year.

“The Irish Prison Service has no control over the numbers committed to custody at any given time,” justice minister Jim O’Callaghan told Mr O’Sullivan.

The minister outlined a number of measures that had already been taken nationally, including the establishment of a prison overcrowding response group and a working group.

The Irish Prison Service budget increased by 18% to €79m this year, additional staff were hired with more to be hired this year, and 300 new prison spaces have been opened in recent years, with 50 to come on stream soon, though not in Cork.

Mr O’Sullivan told The Echo: “It has been clear for some time now that there are substantial issues with prison capacity not just in Cork but nationally also.

“I understand that the previous minister appointed a working group on foot of a review being done by the department and prison service back in 2023 but it is high time now, nearly two years in that we get down to talking about adding to the capacity of the prison service.

“It is critical not only in terms of the remediation of prisoners but also the safety of our prison officers who are tasked with maintaining the integrity of the service.”