The prison service has said it is working very closely with the Health and Safety Authority to come up with a way to implement the imminent smoking ban in prisons.
Legislation for the ban comes into effect on 1 January next year.
Speaking on RTÉ's 'This Week' programme, Dr Valerie Bresnihan of the Penal Reform Trust said an absolute ban in prisons is unworkable.
However, the vice president of the Prison Officers' Association, Gerry Wilson, has said while he visualised some difficulties in introducing the ban, his members did not want the legislation to be watered down.
