Minister for Justice Jim O'Callaghan has said he is examining alternatives to custodial sentences to manage the chronic overcrowding in prisons, but gave no firm commitments on budgets and timelines.
The Prison Officers' Association (POA) has accused the Government and the Department of Justice of consistently failing to deal with the overcrowding crisis in the country's prisons by failing to plan for the increase in inmates.
The POA said there are 1,500 more prisoners in custody than there were five years ago, over 350 of whom are sleeping on floors, while 160 cells are vacant at Portlaoise Prison.
There are more people in prison than ever before - 5,344 - with 358 sleeping on the floor.
The POA said overcrowding creates a potentially explosive situation which has in the past led to riots, prison officers being taken hostage and jails set on fire.
Mr O’Callaghan told prison officers at their annual conference in Co Galway that he expected to introduce tagging for prisoners on temporary release by the end of the year
Over 1,000 people jailed by the courts were freed on temporary release last year without having spent a day in prison.
The POA has strongly criticised the Government’s failure to deal with overcrowding, which they say is putting their safety and the safety of prisoners at risk.
The minister said the Programme for Government has indicated that they want 1,500 new prison spaces and that he could see "an avenue" for 1,000 of those and wants to "accelerate the process".
He also said that "probably" too many people are being sent to prison and that further options for community service workers were needed when it comes to the imposition of sentences and penalties after conviction.
The minister also said he is working on introducing new legislation, tagging inmates on temporary release and community service alternatives.
The POA however said there are just five inmates on the e-wing in Portlaoise Prison, with 160 cells vacant and new prison spaces could be created there and in Cork, Dublin and the Curragh.
The minister told them he is prepared to look at all options to deal with the chronic overcrowding.
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Drone drug deliveries
They told the minister that millions of euros worth of drugs, tablets, phones and weapons are being delivered by drones to the country's jails.
The POA said there were 110 drone deliveries to prisons this year, an average of one a day.
The conference was also told that prison officers do not know what is being smuggled in and are worried that criminals could use drones to bring guns into the prisons.
Drones have now become a principal method of smuggling contraband into the country’s prisons.
The prison officers said criminal gangs are controlling the prison drugs market and making millions of euros each year.
They said one drone delivery has an average of €50,000 worth of contraband and there have been 110 of those so far this year, more than €5m worth.
One recent seizure in Wheatfield Prison comprised of drugs and 12 phones, ten of them iPhones.
The phones were still in their wrappers; the inmates did not have time to distribute them
The POA said the drones are delivering directly to a prisoner's cell window, and they fear that this would allow the gangs to smuggle in firearms.
They also said the inmates are holding lighters to smoke detectors which sets off fire alarms and the prisons and opens air vents.
Once these vents open, the drone drops the contraband through them.
Tensions and violence increasing in jails - POA
Earlier, POA President Tony Power said that in spite of promises of 650 new prison spaces by successive ministers for justice over the past five years, nothing has been done.
Prison officers say tensions and violence are increasing in jails, with more inmates and officers being attacked.
Incidents in the last year include the murder of a prisoner in Cloverhill Prison, an attack on a prison officer who had his face slashed, and the petrol bombing of a prison officer’s home.
Mr Power said that prison is supposed to be about rehabilitation, but that is impossible without the necessary living and school space, or the workshops to allow prisoners to engage constructively.
He says previous promises by Tánaiste Simon Harris and former minister for justice Helen McEntee have proved "hollow".
Prison system 'bursting at the seams'
Deputy General Secretary Gabriel Keaveny said there are also "footprint" sites in Mountjoy, Castlerea and Portlaoise that could be used for "fast-tracked" for building.
Speaking to RTÉ's Morning Ireland, Mr Keaveny said: "There's been numerous announcements by successive justice ministers to tackle the overcrowding crisis, but they haven't followed through and delivered.
"We can run the system with around 4,300 prisoners, but currently there are over 5,300 in prisons.
"There are approximately 1,500 prisoners more than at this time in 2019. Almost 400 prisoners are sleeping on floors, 500 on bunk beds and on a landing with 45 cells, there are 90 prisoners," Mr Keaveny added.
The Deputy General Secretary stressed the prison system was "bursting at the seams"
"There is no end in sight or a viable plan in place for the next few years We're told that even if a new prison was granted, it would take up to seven years to deliver," he said.
"Prison is meant to be about rehabilitation, but that rehabilitation is impossible when we don't have the living space, the school spaces, or the workshop spaces to allow prisoners to engage constructively during their sentences.
"We recently met with the minister and officials to discuss this and other issues. But nothing will address this situation unless the minister and his officials find the budget to create more prison spaces," Mr Keaveny said.
