Prison service vehicles cost State over €200,000 after dozens of crashes and breakdowns

Ken Foxe

Irish Prison Service vehicles were involved in dozens of crashes, prangs, and breakdowns over the past two years.

The incidents, along with other wear and tear, resulted in repairs and recovery jobs costing the State well over €200,000, records released under FOI show.

Figures provided by the Irish Prison Service (IPS) detail how fleet vehicles were involved in six road traffic collisions over the past two years, with three in each year.

In addition to collisions, prison vehicles were damaged on 52 occasions during the same period.

There were 21 incidents in 2024 and a further 31 in 2025, including cases where vehicles hit walls or were vandalised.

The service also logged 96 vehicle recoveries over the two years, at a combined cost of around €35,000.

In 2024, there were 54 recoveries costing €17,325, while 42 recoveries in 2025 cost €17,492.

However, the IPS said it was not possible to determine how many of these recoveries related specifically to breakdowns, as the figures also include instances where vehicles were moved between facilities.

Separate figures show that repairs were needed to prison vehicles on 233 occasions across 2024 and 2025, at a total cost of almost €173,000.

This included 135 repair jobs in 2024 costing €98,850 and 98 in 2025 costing just over €74,000.

The service said not all of these repairs related to crashes or damage incidents and could also include body and chassis repairs carried out as part of routine maintenance for rust or general wear and tear.

The IPS also said that no staff members were involved in a road traffic collision while using their own private vehicle for official business in either 2024 or 2025.

They said they could not provide figures for compensation payments or repairs to privately owned vehicles, saying that legal claims for property damage are handled by the State Claims Agency.

Asked about the records, a spokesman said their fleet operated 24/7 and last year travelled approximately 3.8 million kilometres reflecting the scale and intensity of daily operations.

He said work included prisoner transfers, court appearances, hospital appointments, and essential logistics nationwide.

“This fleet ranges from passenger and commercial vehicles to a variety of cellular vehicles designed for the secure transport of people in custody,” he said.

“The Prison Service maintains robust systems to minimise and manage these effectively, including strict road‑safety procedures, regular driver training and continuous review of fleet condition to ensure all vehicles remain roadworthy and safe.”

He added that all incidents were recorded, reviewed, and addressed as appropriate, and any third-party claims were managed by the State Claims Agency.