'Put one in the Taoiseach's constituency': Dáil row over overcrowding at Cork prison

Voices were raised in the Dáil last week during a discussion around the future of the old Cork prison, as the Tánaiste said people are not able to serve extended sentences recently passed by government without extended capacity.

There were 360 people in Cork Prison on Friday, representing 122% capacity and among the highest figures ever recorded in the 296-bed facility, which hit 372 in capacity this February.

On Friday, 64 inmates in the prison had to sleep on the floor.

Sinn Féin TD for Cork North-Central Thomas Gould explained the background to Tánaiste Simon Harris in the Dáil on Thursday.

“In 2016, a new prison was opened in The Glen in Cork and the old prison was closed down.

“A commitment was made at the time by the Tánaiste’s government and by the Irish Prison Service that the old prison would not be reopened, and would be used by the community.”

Responding to justice minister Jim O’Callaghan’s recent announcement that a new prison will go alongside the current prison, Mr Gould said: “Commitments were given to the community and they feel betrayed.

“I spoke to a lady yesterday who had a gang of young people in her garden at the weekend, in balaclavas and on scooters, throwing drugs over the wall. That is what the people up there are putting up with.

“If this Government are mad about prisons, why do they not put one in their constituency, in Greystones or in the Taoiseach’s constituency?”

Mr Harris said there is a prison in his constituency, the open prison Shelton Abbey, which he has visited “many times”, telling Mr Gould “do not shout at me, please”.

In response to Mr Gould asking if there were two prisons on the same site in his constituency, Mr Harris said: “Can the deputy please stop shouting? Just please stop shouting.”

He went on to say that prison capacity “is a very serious issue”.

“There are far too many people out on the streets, causing chaos in communities, who need to be in prison,” said Mr Harris.

“They cannot be in prison unless we expand prison capacity.”

“Our population has grown. I believe in alternatives to prison but there are some people who need to be behind bars.

“This house has passed laws to extend prison sentences but has not put in place the prison capacity to support those extensions.”

Mr Harris, himself a former justice minister, said that no justice minister wants to be told that people are being released from prison because there is not enough capacity.

“We need to fix this. The location of prisons is a matter for the Prison Service. The minister, Deputy O’Callaghan, has my full support.”