Portlaoise Prison cell trial aims to end 'slopping out'

 A sample cell with toilet facilities is being trialled with a view to ending slopping out in Portlaoise Prison. 

Only eight prisoners are still ‘slopping out’ in Ireland and all of them are in Portlaoise Prison. 

It remains the only facility in the country where the outdated practice remains as some prisoners don’t have working toilets in their cells. 

Inmates in E Block in Portlaoise, which is reserved for republican prisoners, still have to use containers if they need to go to the toilet in their cells and these containers then have to be taken from the cells and emptied in the practice known as slopping out. 

In a parliamentary question last month, Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Justice Simon Harris if there are plans to end the practice. 

In response, Minister Harris said a sample cell had been built in E Block with in cell sanitation. 

“The Irish Prison Service has committed to the elimination of the practice referred colloquially as ‘slopping out’, through the provision of in cell sanitation in the older parts of the prison estate where that practice remained,” said Minister Harris. 

He said upgrades had taken place to end the practice in other prisons in recent years. 

“A major refurbishment of Mountjoy Prison was completed in 2014 which included the provision of in cell sanitation and upgrade of the accommodation and in 2016 a new purpose designed modern prison opened in Cork, replacing the old prison facility,” he said. 

“Slopping out was ended in Limerick Prison, at the beginning of this year, with the completion of a project to deliver new accommodation at that location,” said Minister Harris. 

“As a result there are only eight prisoners, accommodated in the Portlaoise Prison E Block who do not have access to toilet facilities in their cell and must "slop out" on a daily basis.

The Deputy will be aware that the Irish Prison Service has been completing engineering surveys on the E Block to explore the options of providing in-cell sanitation along with other work to upgrade the cellular accommodation having regard to the age and fabric of the building,” Minister Harris explained. 

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“Works on the construction of a sample cell at E Block have taken place and the outcome of these works is being examined to determine the feasibility of installing in-cell sanitation to the Block. Any decision to commence a project to install in-cell sanitation to the E Block would be subject to a cost benefit analysis,” he added.