THE number of prisoners in Irish jails has exceeded 5,000 for the first time in the history of the state, new Irish Prison Service (IPS) figures reveal.

News of the record numbers of inmates comes after it was announced last week that the new Thornton Hall complex to replace Mountjoy Prison is to be built on a phased approach, meaning it will be constructed in three stages instead of all at the one time.

The plans for construction of the new prison, announced by justice minister Dermot Ahern, were attacked by opposition parties as inadequate and lacking in credibility.

The total prison population last Thursday was 5,274. This includes 784 inmates who are on temporary release, which can be granted on compassionate grounds and is also sometimes implemented to ease overcrowding problems.

Some 4,491 prisoners are currently incarcerated across Irish jails. The total bed capacity across prisons is 4,236 – meaning 250 inmates are without beds.

The bed capacity includes bunk beds, which turn two-person cells into four-person cells, and mattresses placed on floors for inmates to sleep in prison showering, basement and reception areas.

Reacting to the figures, Liam Herrick of the Irish Penal Reform Trust (IPRT), said: "This is a situation that's out of control. This is a dangerous situation, both for inmates and staff. This is another alarming increase. There are chronic overcrowding problems at Mountjoy, the Dóchas Centre and Cork prisons. There has been a very worrying pattern of a steady increase in the prison population. The reasons for this need to be examined and addressed."

The IPS said it acknowledged that overcrowding at the prisons was a problem but said it did not have the option of refusing committals.

"It is quite clear that we are operating near or in excess of our bed capacity at this time. It is also clear that the continuation of the current capital programme is necessary if overcrowding is not to be a problem going forward," said a spokesman.

"The Irish Prison Service has, on many occasions, acknowledged that our prisoner numbers have been increasing quite significantly in more recent years.

"Indeed, this situation is particularly apparent over the past 12 months during which time the total number in custody has increased by 436. This represents an 11% increase in the numbers in custody."

By the end of this year, over 200 prison spaces at a new block in Wheatfield Prison are due to come on stream, and a new accommodation block in the Portlaoise/Midlands prison complex is also to be developed.

Current Number of Prisoners *

Mountjoy (male) Bed capacity 630 No in custody 721

Mountjoy (female) 105 146

St Patrick's 217 220

Cork 272 323

Limerick (male) 290 309

Limerick (female) 20 27

Castlerea 351 400

Cloverhill 431 475

Wheatfield 470 505

Portlaoise 359 279

Arbour Hill 148 151

Training Unit 107 114

Midlands 566 560

Loughan 160 151

Shelton Abbey 110 110

Totals 4,236 4,491

* figures do not include prisoners on temporary release