New recruitment covered nearly €440 m Budget for jails in Portlaoise and elsewhere

The Government plans to spend nearly €30 million extra running prisons in Portlaosie and other parts of Ireland in 2024 according to the Department of Justice.

Following Budget 2024, the Department revealed the key areas of spending which will see the total gross allocation for the Prisons Vote in 2024 reach €438.7 million.

The key areas are as follows: 

• The budget for the Irish Prison Service is up over €27m on 2023
• This includes an extra €9m in staffing to provide for new specialist units which will deal with the effective management of the prison population. 
• The new staff will include a Rapid Prison Building Unit to drive the Government’s intention to provide of over 400 new prison spaces over the next 5 years
• This will also provide for the recruitment of prison officers and 65,000 additional hours to manage with the current population.
• Almost €6m to provide for utilities and increases in costs on the operation of the Prison Service such as catering, clothing and laundry.
• €2.5m of retained covid funding to be provided for prisoner medical services.

Minister McEntee commented in the statement issued by her Department.

“I welcome the addition of much-needed resources to support the Irish Prison Service.

“I am proud of the contribution of frontline staff in the Irish Prison Service and those who work with offenders in the Probation Service.  Their purpose-driven work of rehabilitation and reintegration are shown to reduce reoffending.

“The new funding will see more prison officers recruited and 65,000 additional hours to meet the challenges of a prison population heading to an unprecedented high of 5,000. In particular, I am pleased to provide funding which will assist the Prison Service in maximising accommodation and overall management of the prison population,” she said.

Plans for a new 100-cell “F Wing” in the Midlands Prison would also have the potential to accommodate up to 180 prisoners were announced earlier in 2023.

Budget will help more Laois and Offaly people 'keep more of their hard-earned wages' - TD

The Laois jail is the biggest in the country but the addition of a new block would push the official capacity from 875 to 1,000.