Barry Ward
Question:834. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the average annual cost of housing an inmate in an Irish prison for 2021; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39976/26]
View answerPrison Service
Questions (834, 835, 836, 837, 838, 839, 844, 845, 863)
Barry Ward
Question:835. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the average annual cost of housing an inmate in an Irish prison for 2022; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39977/26]
View answerBarry Ward
Question:836. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the average annual cost of housing an inmate in an Irish prison for 2023; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39978/26]
View answerBarry Ward
Question:837. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the average annual cost of housing an inmate in an Irish prison for 2024; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39979/26]
View answerBarry Ward
Question:838. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the average annual cost of housing an inmate in an Irish prison for 2025; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39980/26]
View answerBarry Ward
Question:839. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the average cost of housing an inmate in an Irish prison, broken down by category including the costs related to food, transport, staffing, education, utilities, accommodation and any other significant costing. [39981/26]
View answerBarry Ward
Question:844. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the position regarding the prisoner to staff ratio within the Irish Prison Service; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39990/26]
View answerBarry Ward
Question:845. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the position regarding the prisoner to staff ratio within the Irish Prison Service, broken down by prison; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39991/26]
View answerBarry Ward
Question:863. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the number of people currently employed within the Irish prison service, broken down by role and by prison/ office location, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40017/26]
View answerWritten answers
I propose to take Questions Nos. 834, 835, 836, 837, 838, 839, 844, 845 and 863 together.
I am advised that the average cost of housing an inmate in an Irish prison cannot be broken down into the categories requested by the Deputy, as to collate and calculate that specific information would require a physical examination of records which would take an inordinate amount of time and resources.
However, I am advised by my officials in the Irish Prison Service that the average annual cost of an available, staffed prison space during the calendar year is set out below for the last five years. The below figures include net expenditure incurred within the year (such as salaries, utilities/maintenance, ICT, prison services etc.) excluding capital expenditure on buildings, ICT and vehicle purchases. The main reasons for the increasing costs relates to increased variable costs, including higher prisoner numbers, higher capacity, higher payroll costs and inflation.
|
Year |
Average Annual Cost of a Staffed Prison Space |
|
2025 |
€103,334 |
|
2024 |
€99,072 |
|
2023 |
€88,523 |
|
2022 |
€84,067 |
|
2021 |
€80,335 |
The allocation of staffing across the prison estate is based on the security and operational needs of each individual prison. The number of staff required is influenced by factors including, in particular, the numbers in custody, category of prisoner and regimes and a range of other factors, including the risks and needs associated with specific areas and particular offenders.
The total number of staff employed by the Irish Prison Service, as at 30 April 2026, is set out as below:
|
Period |
Prison Personnel |
Other Grades ** |
IPS Headquarters |
Total |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
30 April 2026 |
3762.5 |
69.07 |
212.51 |
4044.08 |
** Doctors, Psychology Staff, Occupational Therapists, Chaplains.
The total number of prison based staff to total prison population ratio within the Irish Prison Service as of end of April 2026 is:
0.56 (staff) : 1 (prisoner).
I am informed that the Irish Prison Service continually monitors the staffing requirements of the organisation and recruitment or promotion campaigns are put in place as required.
Question No. 835 answered with Question No. 834.
Question No. 836 answered with Question No. 834.
Question No. 837 answered with Question No. 834.
Question No. 838 answered with Question No. 834.
Question No. 839 answered with Question No. 834.
Prison Service
Questions (840, 841, 842, 846, 847, 848, 852)
Barry Ward
Question:840. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the position regarding any initiative that seeks to target recidivism within the prison system; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39986/26]
View answerBarry Ward
Question:841. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the position regarding any initiative that seeks to target recidivism for former prisoners at a community level; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39987/26]
View answerBarry Ward
Question:842. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the position regarding any analysis carried out into rates of recidivism for former prisoners of the Irish Prison System; the way in which this is categorised; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39988/26]
View answerBarry Ward
Question:846. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the position regarding the recidivism rate for Irish prisoners; if statistics are available into the level of reoffending within six months, one year, three years and five years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39998/26]
View answerBarry Ward
Question:847. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the position regarding any analysis into the recidivism rate for Irish prisoners; if there has been any marked change in the levels of reoffending within the past five years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39999/26]
View answerBarry Ward
Question:848. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the position regarding any analysis into the recidivism rate for Irish prisoners, specifically a comparative analysis into reoffending rates for those former prisoners that participate in rehabilitation programmes compared to those that do not; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40000/26]
View answerBarry Ward
Question:852. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration if any comparative analysis is carried out to compare the way In which other countries approach recidivism rates for prisoners; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40004/26]
View answerWritten answers
I propose to take Questions Nos. 840, 841, 842, 846, 847, 848 and 852 together.
This Government remains focused on reducing re-offending, including by diverting people, where appropriate, away from the criminal justice system and ensuring the underlying causes of offending behaviour are addressed.
The Central Statistics Office (CSO) regularly publishes detailed statistical information on both prison and probation re-offending rates. The latest Central Statistics Office (CSO) study of one- and three-year prison reoffending rates, can be found in the Prison Re-offending Statistics 2022 report published on www.cso.ie in September 2025. The prison re-offending statistics measure the level of recorded re-offending by offenders who received a custodial sentence following their release from prison.
One-year prison re-offending rates for individuals released in 2022 indicate that 44% re-offended within a year after being released from custody, a rise of 2%, with the highest reoffending category being people convicted of public order offences or theft. Overall, there has been a reduction in one-year prison re-offending of 6% since 2012.
Probation Reoffending Statistics for 2021, which were published in February 2026, showed that just under one-quarter (24%) of offenders who received a probation order in 2021 re-offended within a year, a fall of 3% when compared with the equivalent rate for 2020 (27%). This is the lowest re-offending rate measured since 2008, when the first estimates of probation re-offending were calculated.
In addition, in November 2025, the CSO published its ‘Re-offending by Detected Incidents 2024’ report, which calculated detected re-offending rates using offences recorded as a PULSE crime incident. A detected re-offending incident is a crime incident that has been recorded on PULSE where an individual that has been identified as a suspect has also been identified as a suspect in a different historical incident also recorded on PULSE. The report is available on the CSO website (www.cso.ie).
The Prison Service and my Department continue to focus on maximising opportunities for rehabilitation in order to reduce reoffending. A range of policies have been developed to achieve this, including through the Review of Policy Options for Prison and Penal Reform, which includes increasing the use of alternatives to custodial sanctions where appropriate, and the recommendations of the High-Level Taskforce to consider the mental health and addiction challenges of those who come into contact with the criminal justice sector.
Question No. 841 answered with Question No. 840.
Question No. 842 answered with Question No. 840.
Prison Service
Questions (843)
Barry Ward
Question:843. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the net change in total prison population, broken down by prison in each of the years 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39989/26]
View answerWritten answers
I can advise the Deputy that the prison population, broken down by prison establishment, is published daily on the Irish Prison Service website, where changes in population can be viewed from 2015 to 2026 at: www.irishprisons.ie/information-centre/statistics-information/2015-daily-prisoner-population.
Table 1 below details the prison population information as requested.
Question No. 844 answered with Question No. 834.
Question No. 845 answered with Question No. 834.
Question No. 846 answered with Question No. 840.
Question No. 847 answered with Question No. 840.
Question No. 848 answered with Question No. 840.
Prison Service
Questions (849, 850)
Barry Ward
Question:849. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the position regarding how Ireland's imprisonment rate per 100,000 population compares to other EU countries; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40001/26]
View answerBarry Ward
Question:850. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the position regarding the way in which Ireland's imprisonment rate per 100,000 population compares to the UK; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40002/26]
View answerWritten answers
I propose to take Questions Nos. 849 and 850 together.
The Council of Europe Annual Penal Statistics (commonly known as SPACE - Statistiques Pénales Annuelles du Conseil de l’Europe) have collected data on imprisonment and penal institutions across Europe since 1983.
Data relating to Irish prison population rates as they compare to those of EU member states, as well as the UK, is publicly available at: www.coe.int/en/web/prison/space. The Council’s most recent annual report for 2025 can be accessed here: www.wp.unil.ch/space/files/2026/05/260518_rapport-space-i-2025.pdf.
I can advise the Deputy when compared with other EU countries in the 2025 SPACE report, Ireland’s prison population rate per 100,000 inhabitants is ranked as low, as is the UK’s.
Question No. 850 answered with Question No. 849.
Prison Service
Questions (851, 853, 854, 855, 856, 857, 858, 859, 860)
Barry Ward
Question:851. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the position regarding any assessment carried out into the benefits of investing in rehabilitation programmes for prisoners in the Irish prison system; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40003/26]
View answerBarry Ward
Question:853. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the position regarding any review has been carried out into the Nordic Model for the prison system that puts significant focus on rehabilitation and reintegration into society; if any lessons can be learned for an Irish context; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40005/26]
View answerBarry Ward
Question:854. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the position regarding the total number of prisoners that participate in rehabilitation and education programmes within the Irish prison system, broken down as a percentage of the total prison population; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40006/26]
View answerBarry Ward
Question:855. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration his views on whether overcrowding has any impact on access to rehabilitation programmes within the Irish prison system; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40007/26]
View answerBarry Ward
Question:856. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the total cost of funding rehabilitation programmes within the Irish Prison System for 2021; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40010/26]
View answerBarry Ward
Question:857. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the total cost of funding rehabilitation programmes within the Irish Prison System for 2022; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40011/26]
View answerBarry Ward
Question:858. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the total cost of funding rehabilitation programmes within the Irish Prison System for 2023; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40012/26]
View answerBarry Ward
Question:859. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the total cost of funding rehabilitation programmes within the Irish Prison System for 2024; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40013/26]
View answerBarry Ward
Question:860. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the total cost of funding rehabilitation programmes within the Irish Prison System for 2025; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40014/26]
View answerWritten answers
I propose to take Question No. 851 and Questions Nos. 853 to 860, inclusive, together.
Rehabilitation is a core aim of the Irish Prison Service (IPS). The IPS has advised that it works to achieve a balanced approach in relation to its care and custody functions, and seeks to manage sentences in a way that encourages and supports people in custody in their efforts to live law abiding and purposeful lives on release.
The Deputy has advised that participation rates of prisoners in education programmes and data in relation to the overall education budget is sufficient for the purpose of responding to his questions on rehabilitation. In Q1 2026, the average percentage of prisoners attending education as a percentage of the total population was 55%. In relation to Work Training, in Q1 2026, the average attendance as a percentage of the total population was 18%.
The table below outlines the budget allocated to Education for the years 2021 - 2025 inclusive. Expenditure through the Irish Prison Service Vote covers the incidental day-to-day costs of running the Education Centres, including educational equipment purchase and repair, course resource materials and educational software.
|
Year |
Budget € |
|
2021 |
1,265,000 |
|
2022 |
1,265,000 |
|
2023 |
1,559,000 |
|
2024 |
1,709,000 |
|
2025 |
2,129,000 |
Education in prisons is delivered in partnership with the Education Training Boards (ETBs). A broad and flexible curriculum is provided from basic literacy through to state examinations and Open University. The Irish Prison Service has expanded the number of accredited courses and opportunities available to prisoners in the area of work-training. Enhanced partnership arrangements with accrediting bodies such as City and Guilds, the Guild of Cleaners and Launderers, Cleanpass, Mount Lucas and various colleges and universities have enabled the IPS to extend the number of available courses and activities with certification. Teachers salaries are managed by ETBs with a total of 220 teachers.
A Prison Education Taskforce commenced in May 2023 with the aim of improving education and upskilling across the criminal justice system. The Taskforce supports the implementation of innovative approaches in prison education, including the piloting of qualifications in retrofitting and catering, and is exploring further opportunities in relation to education and training. By supporting increased access for prisoners to benefit from education and training opportunities while in custody, this increases their opportunity for employment post-release and contributes to reducing recidivism.
In November 2024, the Department of Justice launched ‘Building Pathways Together: Criminal Justice Reintegration Through Employment Strategy 2025-2027’. This strategy seeks to provide effective interventions to ensure that those who have ceased offending, and those who are looking for stability to move away from a life which involves offending, have the appropriate supports and opportunities open to them. Together with the Prison Education Taskforce, there is renewed cross-sectoral commitment to create meaningful education and employment opportunities for people with criminal convictions and their families.
Question No. 852 answered with Question No. 840.
Question No. 853 answered with Question No. 851.