An investigation is underway after a small quantity of drugs and a mobile phone were found in John Gilligan’s cell in Portlaoise prison.
The phone was found two days ago hidden in Blue Tack following a search of his cell by prison officers at the maximum security prison.
It is understood Gilligan was overheard in conversation last Tuesday while he was alone in his cell on the E1 landing that houses gang-linked criminals.
On Wednesday morning, prison officers searched his cell and found a syringe, a charger, two SIM cards, a mobile phone and a small quantity of tablets.
The drugs have yet to be analysed but they are believed to be ecstasy tablets.
The Prison Service has handed the contraband over to gardaí and a criminal investigation is now underway.
The convicted drug dealer, serving 20 years, has been placed in solitary confinement for two months as a result.
It is an offence for an inmate to have a mobile phone, punishable by up to five additional years in prison. However, the maximum penalty the courts have imposed is six months.
Gilligan could now also find himself facing a charge of possession of drugs as well as possession of a mobile phone.
It is the second time that Gilligan has been in trouble with the prison authorities in the past month.
Two weeks ago he was sanctioned for giving an unauthorised interview to a journalist and he was subsequently attacked by another inmate in prison.
Fine Gael Justice Spokesman Charlie Flanagan said the discovery showed that repeated Government promises to rid prisons of drugs and mobile phones are worthless.
Deputy Flanagan also called on Minister for Justice Dermot Ahern to explain how Gilligan was able to use the phone in Portlaoise, where mobile phone blocking technology is being piloted.
‘This discovery blows a massive hole in the Government's repeated promises to clamp down on mobile phones and drugs in prisons,’ he said.
The Irish Prison Service has emphasised its committed to tackling the issue of smuggling mobile phones and other contraband into Irish prisons.
In a statement today, the IPS said airport-style security screening measures are being introduced in each closed prison and visitors and staff members alike will be required to pass through the detector before entering the prison.
