MORE than half of all prisoners are crammed into cells with other inmates, despite the aim of the Department of Justice and the prison authorities to "provide single-cell occupancy for all prisoners".

Figures released by the Irish Prison Service show 1,729 prisoners are housed in what are known as multi-occupancy cells.

In Mountjoy, which is entirely made up of single cells, 93 cells have been "doubled up" and a further 16 cells have been extended to cater for four people.

One officer said: "The tiny size of the rooms in Mountjoy hasn't changed in over 100 years but the number of people in each cell keeps rising.

"Breaking a wall between two single cells, putting in two bunk beds or a mattress on the floor does not make it suitable for four people."

The Dóchas Women's Prison has also seen capacity increased due to overcrowding. Eleven cells have been doubled up and three more now house three prisoners each.

At Cork Prison, where overcrowding is at its worst, 118 cells have been doubled up to make extra room in the Victorian building.

Nine other cells have been converted to house three prisoners in what local officers said were "appalling conditions".

In the Training Unit at the Mountjoy complex, "slopping out" has been introduced for the first time because prison officers who previously escorted inmates to the toilet during the night no longer considered it safe because of double occupancy. The prisoners involved have been using chamber pots instead.

The Irish Prison Service said new prison buildings at Castlerea, Portlaoise and Wheatfield along with new facilities at Thornton Hall in Dublin and Kilworth in Co Cork would allow "for increased single-cell usage".

They said: "The big milestone will be Thornton Hall and a lot of older prison spaces will have been gotten rid of when it's opened."