Daily Prisoner Population
Statement on Prison Capacity
The Irish Prison Service is required to accept into custody all persons committed to prison by the Courts and has no role in determining the number of people sent to custody at any given time.
Where the number of people in custody exceeds the maximum capacity in any prison, the Irish Prison Service makes every effort to manage this safely, including the use of Temporary Release where appropriate. All decisions on Temporary Release are taken on a case‑by‑case basis and the safety of the public is paramount.
Significant work has been undertaken in recent years to increase capacity across the prison estate. Since 2022, the Irish Prison Service has delivered 446 additional prison spaces. Since the Programme for Government came into effect in 2024, 232 additional prison spaces have been delivered. The capital programme aims to deliver a further 65 spaces in 2026 and 70 in 2027. This programme of expansion is supported by substantial Government investment, including an allocation of €579 million in 2026, with a capital budget of €67.9 million dedicated to the delivery of additional prison spaces and the continued modernisation of the estate.
The Irish Prison Service continues to assess opportunities to identify and utilise additional capacity within the existing estate, including through the optimisation or repurposing of accommodation where appropriate. Any such increases will be reflected in the daily population figures published on the Irish Prison Service website.
Government has provided substantial capital investment to support further expansion of the prison estate. Under the National Development Plan, the Irish Prison Service currently has plans in place to potentially deliver 1,443 additional spaces between 2026 and 2032, including new accommodation in Castlerea, Midlands, Wheatfield, Mountjoy, Cloverhill and the Dóchas Centre, as well as the redevelopment of the former Cork Prison site. A number of these projects have been granted accelerated approval under the Public Spending Code, which will have the effect of bringing forward delivery timelines.
In line with the National Development Plan, the Irish Prison Service exceeded its target to recruit 300 new Recruit Prison Officers in 2025. Funding has been secured for the recruitment of an additional 100 Recruit Prison Officers and up to 50 additional staff in 2026 to support the safe operation of the estate and the delivery of new capacity.
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Daily Prisoner Population
The Irish Prison Service collates daily data, on a prison by prison basis, on the prisoner population. This includes details of:
a. The number in custody and bed capacity, both male and female
b. The number of remands
c. The number on temporary release.
To access the daily prisoner population click the following link.