Laois gardaí liaising with prison authorities as three inmates remain in intensive care in hospital

Three prisoners remain in intensive care in hospital following suspected overdoses in Portlaoise Prison yesterday. 

It has now been confirmed that a total of 11 prisoners were taken to the Midlands Regional Hospital Portlaoise on Tuesday. 

The Irish Prison Service(IPS) confirmed that six of the inmates have now returned to the prison but five remain in hospital and three of them are in the Intensive Care Unit(ICU).  

One inmate had been in a critical condition on Tuesday but his condition has since inmproved. 

Toxicology analysis is ongoing following the suspected mass overdose event in an effort to establish what drugs were involved. 

Searches are also being carried out in the prison. It's understood the majority of the suspected overdoses took place on the same landing of the prison. 

In June, the HSE issued an alert over counterfeit benzodiazepine tablets which had led to overdoses and hospitalisations in Dublin, Galway and the Mid West. The yellow tablets are believed to be a bit chalky in texture compared to real benzodiazepine pills as they aren’t from an official laboratory.  

A month later on July 18, 2024,  the IPS issued a National Drug Alert for prisons in relation to a synthetic opioid drug called nitazene. The lethal drug was found in counterfeit benzodiazepine pills, also known as D5 tablets. 

The Irish Prison Service issued the urgent drug alert to all prisons following analysis conducted by the HSE National Drug Treatment Centre Laboratory which confirmed the presence of a nitazene type substance, associated with overdoses in Irish prisons, one of which is fatal. 

In a statement on Tuesday, the IPS said: “The Irish Prison Service is working closely with the HSE in response to a number of overdose presentations in custody. The Prison Service has secured extra naloxone kits in the event of clinical intervention. Extra vigilance is being taken across the prison estate and the Irish Prison Service has commenced an information campaign for prisoners around the dangers of consuming contraband.

The Irish Prison Service is committed to preventing the access of contraband including drugs into prisons and continues to be a high priority for the Irish Prison Service. The Irish Prison Service has committed to continuing to invest in new technologies and measures to support our efforts to keep contraband out of prisons.

Prison staff have increased the use of random and intelligence led cell searches on a daily basis. Our Canine Unit carry out searches around the prisons, including a greater focus on searching deliveries into prisons. The Irish Prison Service continues to engage with An Garda Síochána with regard to preventing contraband entering our prison and this happens at both local and national level. The Operational Support Group work closely with their colleagues in An Garda Síochána on a regular basis and the sharing of intelligence has led to target searches resulting in the seizure of contraband.

There is a free confidential telephone line (1800 855 717) and text line (086 180 2449) which is operational. Prisoners, visitors, staff or members of the public with information on the trafficking of prohibited items into our prisons can pass on that information in the strictest confidence.  

The Irish Prison Service are committed to strengthening our measures in keeping drugs out of prison and in this regard a new Drug Strategy was published last November. This new strategy sets out clear measures to be taken by the Irish Prison Service to tackle the problem of substance abuse in prisons over the next three years.”

Meanwhile, Laois Offaly Garda Chief Superintendent Anthony Lonergan said gardaí were liaising with prison authorities in relation to the incident at Portlaoise Prison.

He said gardaí are “carrying out an analysis” of some items gardaí believe are connected to the event. However, he was unable to yet confirm what substance was involved. 

When asked if there were concerns about such a substance appearing at the Electric Picnic, Chief Supt Lonergan said "we have been working with the HSE around it in advance of the Electric Picnic." 

He acknowledged that there was a drug testing facility run by the HSE at the event and said while the gardaí are cooperating with the HSE, their primary role around illegal drugs is to enforce the Misuse of Drugs Act. 

“We are continuing to liaise with the HSE like we do every year,” said Chief Supt Lonergan. 

The HSE will again have ‘Back of House’ onsite drug testing at the Electric Picnic this year which will enable them to issue warnings about dangerous drugs while the event is ongoing.  

Around 130 drug samples were surrendered at the festival last year and a number of alerts were issued in relation to high strength drugs circulating at the event.  

It’s understood over 150 benzodiazepine tablets were seized by gardaí during the 2023 Electric Picnic.