The 2011 annual report of the visiting committee at Cloverhill Prison in Dublin has said continuing overcrowding at the prison is a cause for concern.
The committee's report, published by the Department of Justice today, says the highest figure in custody on any day during last year was 487, which is 56 over capacity.
The report says prisoners complained of newly arrived inmates being put into their cells onto mattresses on the floors during the night, which caused unwarranted disturbances.
The committee says there appears to be a link between overcrowding and tension in the prisons, as well as health and safety concerns for staff and prisoners.
The committee also noted that about a third of Cloverhill's population comprised foreign nationals. It says communication is as a result a problem and in its report the committee calls on the Minister to review the issue.
Other issues raised by the report include the strain on resources owing to the high number of prisoners on protection and the cutting of the addiction nursing post.
It also expresses disappointed that the proposed introduction of mobile phone blocking in Cloverhill has still not been introduced and that a drug detection dog is no longer being used during the week in search procedures.
Meanwhile the 2011 annual report of the visiting committee at Cork prison says staff shortages, overcrowding, slopping out and in cell sanitation are causes for concern in the institution.
The report also points to the outdated Victorian prison building and says members of the committee are hoping a positive decision will be made in the near future on a new prison at Kilworth in the county.
The report says an excellent new screening service was implemented during the year and sniffer dogs were successfully used in drug detection.
It says staff levels should be maintained in the prison's mental health service, which it describes as of the utmost importance.
The committee says all programmes in the education and training areas are working to their maximum.
