Forty-nine prisoners still slopping out in Ireland

Following the construction of a new prison in Cork and the refurbishment of Mountjoy prison, 98.7 per cent of Irish prisoners now have access to in-cell sanitation.

The Irish Prison Service’s Capital Strategy 2016-2021 includes plans for the a complete replacement of outdated accommodation in Limerick and Portlaoise prisons as well as improvements across other prisons.

On completion of the Limerick and Portlaoise projects, Ms Fitzgerald said slopping out “will be completely eliminated” in Irish prisons.

She said that the number of prisoners without access to in-cell sanitation had decreased from 1,003 at the end of 2010 to just 49 on 18 January 2017 - 28 in Portlaoise and 21 in Limerick.