Speech by Minister for Justice Jim O’Callaghan at Prison Officer Association Address

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A Uachtaráin de Paor, a chomhaltaí d’Fheidhmeannas Náisiúnta Chumann na nOifigeach Príosúin, a ionadaithe Brainsí, a aíonna agus a thoscairí.

Go raibh maith agaibh as cuireadh a thabhairt dom chun labhairt ag bhur gcomhdháil bhliantúil – is mór an pléisiúr é, a bheith anseo.

Since I was appointed Minister for Justice just 14 weeks ago, I have visited Cloverhill and Cork prisons. I have seen your work first hand. I want you to know that I have great respect for the work that you do. The professionalism and compassion that you show in carrying out your duties under difficult circumstances is commendable.

So, I am very pleased to be here this morning to thank you on behalf of the government, for what you do and the public service that you deliver so professionally.

You are a cornerstone of the criminal justice system, it could not function without you. Prisons not only provide a secure environment and act as a deterrent, but through your dedication and compassion prisons also provide offenders with an opportunity for rehabilitation and education.

I want to also thank Director-General of the Irish Prison Service Caron McCaffrey and her team for their work and leadership.

But I know staff as well as prisoners can only fully thrive when you are in a secure and healthy environment.

We need prisons that are fit for purpose.

I am fully aware from my conversations with POA and members and from what I see inside prisons that you face very difficult and dangerous challenges every day.

I want to assure you that while you work to make Irish prisons safer and more effective, the government is committed to doing the same for you by trying to resolve the challenges that are there efficiently and speedily.

That is the goal we’re all working towards: me, as Minister for Justice, this government, my department, the Irish Prison Service, and the POA. I am certain by working together we can achieve meaningful progress.

And this belief has been strengthened by the commitment to excellence demonstrated by Karl and the POA leadership at our meeting at the beginning of April, and by the dedication of the entire Irish Prison Service.

I want you to know that as Minister I am determined that you are enabled and equipped to do your job to a high standard in a workplace where you feel safe and protected.

On the very real and serious issue of overcrowding in our prisons, I am acutely aware of the scale. I see the numbers. I know the danger and the tension that this causes inside prisons.

I want to see a modern, fit for purpose prison estate that has the capacity to securely accommodate prisoners in a safe environment for both staff and prisoners.

While the prison estate is currently expanding, I know it is not expanding at the rate that is urgently needed.

Since 2022, capacity has been increased by more than 300 new spaces with 139 delivered in the last 12 months alone and more than 90 to be added this year.

Budget 2025 increased funding to €525 million to tackle overcrowding and increase capacity. This year, the Irish Prison Service capital budget is €53 million, also focused on providing additional prison spaces.

There is a clear plan to deliver 1,100 new spaces by 2030, and work is underway to ensure a further 400 spaces can be delivered.

In line with the Programme for Government commitment, I am determined to deliver these 1,500 new spaces and a new prison at Thornton Hall. I will be making the case in the forthcoming review of the National Development Plan to secure the necessary funding for this.

But I know you want to hear the solutions to deal with overcrowding now.

The Overcrowding Risk Assessment Task Force, with valuable input from the POA, has been instrumental in identifying the scale of the challenge and the shape solutions will need to take.

The Prison Overcrowding Response Group, with input from my department as well as a number of agencies, has recommended:

- adopting a range of innovative responses to deliver structured temporary release for suitable prisoners,

- progressing actions to increase the use of community service;

- and advancing legislative changes to support the delivery of community-based sanctions.

I will be seeking government approval shortly for the drafting of the Criminal Law and Civil Law (Miscellaneous Provisions Bill) 2025.

This Bill includes a range of measures that will bring welcome changes across a range of areas, improving operational capacity in our prisons and bolstering sentencing options to reduce reliance on custodial sentences.

This includes a number of proposed amendments to the Community Service Act 1983 to encourage greater use of community service orders for those deemed appropriate.

The Future Prison Capacity Working Group is exploring current and projected capacity needs out to 2035 and has also benefitted from the input of the executives and delegates here today. The findings of this group will also support and inform future developments around the site at Thornton Hall.

The Programme for Government commits to implementing electronic tagging for appropriate categories of offender. I want you to know that I am moving forward on this commitment. I have asked my officials to complete the necessary procurement requirements with urgency so an initial rollout of electronic tagging can be expected by the end of the year at the very latest.

There are a number of scenarios currently covered by legislation which allow for electronic tagging. Provisions which allow for tagging of people on temporary release and in some cases, people on bail, have the potential to tackle overcrowding.

All of these actions can help ease the overcrowding challenges but to make our prisons safer we also need well-resourced teams and well equipped prison officers.

Last year, the Irish Prison Service recruited 271 new prison officers. In addition, 123 new recruits celebrated their graduation in Dublin Castle at the beginning of April.

I am committed to taking necessary steps to help them succeed in this incredibly rewarding career.

The Irish Prison Service will be recruiting 300 more prison officers in 2025.

These recruits will be joining experienced and knowledgeable prison officers with a wealth of expertise to share.

Last summer, the government increased the retirement age for uniformed officers from 60 to 62 to provide those who want to keep working for longer with the opportunity to do so.

As a result, new recruits will have more experienced leaders and teammates to learn from as they begin their careers.

We are also aware that your time is precious. Prison officers are being pulled in many different directions every day.

It is vital that prison officers are supported to use their qualifications, skills and experience to work with prisoners in a rehabilitative way. The results are valuable not just to the people in your care, but also to wider society. I am committed to this. Funding for 130,000 additional staff hours where needed to support prison operations and to enhance safety and security across the prison estate will be provided.

This month I also intend to seek government approval for proposals to expand the legal basis for remote court hearings and electronic documents in criminal proceedings.

These measures will reduce the length time of time that prison officers spend accompanying individuals to court and collecting committal warrants from the courts. I am confident, because you have told me so, that reducing the time spent escorting prisoners to court, will improve operational capacity across the prison system.

It’s an unfortunate reality that even in a healthy, functioning prison environment with well-resourced, experienced teams, significant and harmful incidents do happen.

Thankfully, these incidents are rare, but you must be ready with the appropriate equipment to do your jobs safely and efficiently if they do arise.

It is my priority that you are as equipped as possible to deal with these situations as they arise and are trained and able to de-escalate incidents appropriately and safely.

I am pleased to tell you that another proposal which I intend to bring forward as part of the Miscellaneous Provisions Bill shortly to Cabinet for approval is to amend the law so that prison officers can use incapacitant spray in incidents where their safety is at risk.

Further measures around the use of batons were recently considered by a Personal Protective Equipment review group which included representatives from the Irish Prison Service and POA.

Body Worn Cameras are currently being piloted in Portlaoise Prison and will be rolled out across the estate later this year and into early 2026.

There is also a commitment to introduce x-ray body scanners for visitors to prisons.

I am aware that one of the most pressing issues affecting the security of yourselves and those under your care is the flow of contraband into prisons.

You are dealing with the impact of these deliveries every day, and the government, along with the Irish Prison Service and POA, are committed to doing what we can to reduce this flow.

The Irish Prison Service continues to work closely with An Garda Síochána on initiatives including Operation Throwover, which has had a lot of success in its goal to disrupt, interdict and prosecute attempts to introduce contraband into prisons.

Earlier this week, I was pleased to witness the signing of a formal Memorandum of Understanding between the Director General of the IPS Caron McCaffrey and the Garda Commissioner Drew Harris. This MOU will enable both agencies to collaborate more effectively across a range of areas including prison security, intelligence gathering, evidence preservation and data sharing. This collaboration will significantly help to prevent contraband entering prisons.

We are familiar with the media coverage of drone drops and deliveries of contraband burning through the yard nets.

I am pleased to say that €5 million has been allocated by Government for the installation of steel netting capable of withstanding fire-bombing by drones.

This new netting has already been installed in Mountjoy prison and will be installed in Wheatfield prison shortly.

Looking within the prison, we are consistently looking at further addiction supports.

This time last year, the IPS welcomed Anne Collins, as the first Irish Prison Service Clinical Lead for Mental Health and Addiction.

In her role, Anne is focused on coordinating the Healthcare Team’s response to the Irish Prison Service Drug Strategy and High-Level Task Force recommendations.

The High-Level Task Force will shortly publish its second progress report, sharing successes and recommendations for continued improvement.

While these achievements won’t solve the problem entirely, they are a step in the right direction to reduce access to drugs within our prisons.

I would like to finish by once again sincerely thanking all of you for your continued service, resilience and professionalism. Your work in what can be an incredibly challenging environment but please know the government is working to make your job safer and more rewarding in any way we can, enabling you to excel in your chosen profession.

Whether it’s through legislation, such as the range of measures I have mentioned that I will bring to Cabinet shortly for approval or through practical operational improvements.

At every turn, the work we are doing is informed, supported and improved by representative groups like the Prison Officers Association and the invaluable perspective of our prison officers.

I will continue to listen and work with you to make our criminal justice system safer, fairer, and more effective in keeping Ireland a safe place.

Thank you for inviting me to meet with you all today and for your continued engagement.

I wish you the very well for the rest of your conference and I hope to attend further conferences in the future.

I want to conclude by saying you have my support. You do an excellent job. The Irish public support you and it is important as Minister for Justice that I re-emphasise that and I look forward to meeting with some of you.

Go raibh míle maith agaibh go léir.