125. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Justice the number of prisoners sleeping on mattresses on floors on each day since 1 January 2024, broken down by prison. [21477/25]
Topics / Prison Service
A subject heading for parliamentary questionsPrison Service
493 questions from 78 TDs, between 22 January 2025 and 22 October 2026.
493
questions
486 written, 7 oral
78
TDs have asked
10
parties and groups
Independents counted together
7
departments asked
Questions per month
The record holds no questions for August, when the Dáil does not sit.
Jan 2025Oct 2026
Show as a table
| Month | Questions |
|---|---|
| January 2025 | 9 |
| February 2025 | 27 |
| March 2025 | 14 |
| April 2025 | 23 |
| May 2025 | 23 |
| June 2025 | 25 |
| July 2025 | 51 |
| August 2025 | 0 |
| September 2025 | 46 |
| October 2025 | 25 |
| November 2025 | 31 |
| December 2025 | 24 |
| January 2026 | 37 |
| February 2026 | 19 |
| March 2026 | 18 |
| April 2026 | 16 |
| May 2026 | 65 |
| June 2026 | 11 |
| July 2026 | 12 |
| August 2026 | 0 |
| September 2026 | 8 |
| October 2026 | 9 |
Who asks, by party
The party each TD belonged to on the day, in alphabetical order. Parties differ a lot in size, and members of the Government answer questions rather than ask them, so this shows who raised it, not how much a party cares about it.
The TDs who asked most
Members of the Government answer questions rather than ask them. Each question counts once.
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77
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71
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44
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35
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24
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21
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17
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14
Asked of
Debated under the same heading
Debates whose official heading is exactly these words.
The questions
126. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Justice how overcrowding has affected rates of prisoner on prisoner and prisoner on staff assaults in 2023 and Q1 2025; and whether an independent safety audit will be commissioned. [21478/25]
127. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Justice the number of prisoners unable to access education, vocational workshops or drug treatment programmes due to capacity constraints in 2024; and the percentage shortfall relative to assessed need. [21479/25]
128. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Justice his response to the Prison Officers' Association statement that overcrowding has passed the point at which prisons can be safely operated; and what additional staffing or overtime resources will be provided in budget 2026. [21480/25]
129. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Justice the number of confirmed drone related contraband drops detected in each prison in 2023 and to date in 2025; and the measures being taken to counter drone incursions. [21481/25]
130. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Justice if he will consider installing comprehensive drone defence systems and netting in exercise yards, as recommended by staff representatives; and the estimated cost. [21482/25]
131. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Justice the current utilisation rate of structured temporary release, broken down by offence category, compared with 2020 to 2024; and the reoffending rate for persons released under this scheme. [21483/25]
133. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Justice the average daily number of people on community based restorative justice programmes in 2024; the target numbers for 2025; and the budget allocated. [21485/25]
134. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Justice the breakdown of the €53 million capital allocation for 2025 by project and prison; the projected number of additional bed spaces each project will deliver; and on what timeline. [21486/25]
135. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Justice when he last consulted the Inspector of Prisons and the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission regarding compliance with the UN Mandela Rules; and if he will publish any correspondence since January 2024 relating to overcrowding. [21487/25]
136. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Justice the steps being taken to address the 48% overcrowding in Limerick Women's Prison; and whether any female prisoners have been transferred abroad or to Garda stations due to lack of capacity. [21488/25]
137. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Justice whether his Department has benchmarked Irish prison population rates against comparable EU jurisdictions; to provide that data; and to outline any best practice models being considered to curb unsentenced and short sentence committals. [21489/25]
1507. Deputy Sinéad Gibney asked the Minister for Justice if his Department has engaged with representatives of prison officers since January 2024 on the issues with the fast accrual (uniformed) single public service pension scheme for uniformed services recruited after 2013; the dates of those engagements; if his Department has taken any action as a result of these engagements; and if he will make a statement on the…
1568. Deputy Louis O'Hara asked the Minister for Justice if there is a legal requirement to inform a prisoner’s family members when they are being released from prison; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19434/25]
1576. Deputy Louis O'Hara asked the Minister for Justice the reason a person (details supplied) who was the victim of a serious offence was not informed that the perpetrator of this crime had been released from prison; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19622/25]
1651. Deputy Mark Ward asked the Minister for Justice if the progression unit in Mountjoy Prison has been closed; the reasons for this closure; the impacts this has had on prisoners in Mountjoy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21058/25]
728. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Justice the number of prisoners who have died in the State in each of the past ten years, and to date in 2025. [17146/25]
572. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Justice the work of his Department and that of the Prison Service to develop enhanced prison-based addiction treatment services to support those with addictions and dual diagnosis; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15656/25]
555. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Justice if his attention has been drawn to cases of delayed delivery of personal items to prisoners when they are being transferred between the Midlands Prison and the progression unit in Mountjoy (details supplied); if the Minister will instruct his Department to investigate this and ensure prisoners are able to receive their property; and if he will make a statement on…
122. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Justice the action he will take to address overcrowding, inhumane treatment and the systemic failure of rehabilitation services revealed in the latest report by the Office of the Inspector of Prisons; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12672/25]
135. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Justice if his Department will expand wraparound services for prisoners to support rehabilitation, reduce re-offending and assist with re-integration into society. [12473/25]
138. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Justice the capacity of each prison in the State; the extent of overcrowding in each prison; the steps being taken to address this overcrowding; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12808/25]
167. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Justice the number of prisoners per annum in Cork Prison from 2020 to 2024, in tabular form; the measures being taken to tackle capacity issues; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12430/25]
185. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Justice the immediate measures he will take to increase prison capacity in the country; the efforts he will make to urgently review bail laws, to reduce the number of crimes being committed by persons out on bail; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11483/25]
1165. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Justice the capacity of Limerick prison; the number of persons currently incarcerated; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11835/25]