‘Deeply concerning’: Drug seizures in Irish prisons on the rise
The Department of Justice estimates that over 70% of people committed to Irish prisons have a problem with drug addiction
Over 6,000 drug seizures have been recorded in Irish prisons from 2020 to date.
The Department of Justice estimates that over 70% of people committed to Irish prisons have a problem with drug addiction.
On October 14, there were 5,556 people held in Irish prison. In 2023, there were 20 addiction counsellors working in the Irish Prison service - meaning there is a ratio of approximately one addiction counsellor for every 277 prisoners.
92 drug overdoses have been recorded in Irish prisons from August 2024 to date.
The Irish Prison Service disclosed in 2023 that the common problem drug reported by male inmates was cocaine - which was an issue for 35.8% of male prisoners. Opioids - primarily heroin - was reported as a problem for 35.6% of the cohort.
For female inmates, the most common problem drug reported continues to be opioids - with 42.6% of prisoners reporting an issue with the drug. Cocaine is the second most common drug reported - with 26% of prisoners reporting having a problem with the drug.
6,201 seizures were recorded for 2021 to present - while 6,181 seizures were recorded for years of 2015 to 2020. While the increase seems small, more seizures have accumulated in a shorter amount of time in the past four years and ten months in comparison to the five years of 2015 to 2020.
When asked to respond to the large number of drug seizures in prisons, a spokesperson for the Irish Prison Service stated: “Prison staff have increased the use of random and intelligence led cell searches on a daily basis. Our Canine Unit carry out searches around the prisons, including a greater focus on searching deliveries into prisons”.
Labour TD Conor Sheehan had the following to say about the rise in drug seizures in Irish Prison: “The increase in drug seizures across Irish prisons is deeply worrying and points to a system under real strain. While it’s welcome that drugs are being intercepted, the sheer scale of these seizures shows how pervasive addiction remains behind bars.”
Sheehan described the problem as “deeply concerning”. The TD believes that: “overcrowding, understaffing, and a lack of proper treatment programmes are allowing the cycle of addiction and reoffending to continue unchecked.”
General secretary of the Prison Officer’s Association Karl Dalton said on RTÉ News that the problem of drugs is linked to the prison system’s overcrowding:“Unfortunately when you have that much overcrowding, you have no school spaces, you have no workshop spaces; that leads to the onslaught of drugs.”
Overcrowding has become a significant issue for the Irish Prison Service in recent years, with the intake of prisoners rising by almost 10% in 2024.