Justice minister said bail laws  are comprehensive, but he is “committed to ensuring they are fit for purpose while ensuring fundamental rights principles are adhered to”.

Ryan was on bail for a similar offence when he carried out this attack. He was jailed last summer for 10 years for that offence — a case that included a rape.

His solicitor said it was notable that the being drunk and a danger did not have associated charges of being threatening and abusive and that the accused was generally respectful to gardaí.

Judge Boyle viewed the repeat offending as an aggravating factor, meriting the imposition of consecutive sentences that left Lane facing into a prison term of seven-and-a-half years.

Cork Prison has exceeded its own record for overcrowding for six days in a row, with 386 people in custody there on Thursday, representing 130% capacity.

The former record of 372 people in the prison, which has capacity for 296, has been broken the last four days in a row, with 384 people incarcerated there on Tuesday.