Press Release: IPRT Responds to Follow-Up Inspection reports by Office of the Inspector of Prisons - Cloverhill and Mountjoy Prisons

4th February 2026

The Irish Penal Reform Trust (IPRT) today expresses grave concern at the findings of the Office of the Inspector of Prisons’ (OIP) follow up inspection reports which find that overcrowding, inadequate access to facilities, and poor healthcare provision continue to worsen, despite repeated warnings and previous recommendations. 

IPRT is calling on the Minister for Justice, Migration and Home Affairs to take emergency action following the publication of the OIP follow up inspection reports on Cloverhill and Mountjoy reports.  

The inspections, carried out in Mountjoy from 28 April-2 May 2025 and from 9-11 December 2024 in Cloverhill Prison, assessed the implementation of recommendations from prior general inspections at Mountjoy (2022) and Cloverhill (2023).  

Responding to the publication of the reports, Niamh McCormack, Legal and Public Affairs Manager with IPRT said:  

“We are deeply disappointed by the lack of urgency in addressing the seriously concerning issues that were raised in the initial inspection reports. Out of 19 recommendations that were made following the Cloverhill inspection, only three have been implemented. Out of 32 recommendations in Mountjoy, two are considered closed.  

The inspections expose seriously unsafe and unsanitary conditions that are inhuman and degrading for people in prison. Cells with four people in spaces designed for three, mattresses wedged beside open toilets, broken plumbing, and extreme temperatures are completely unacceptable in a modern prison system.” 

She continued: 

“The OIP findings underline the severity of the situation in Irish prisons. We see prison conditions in Mountjoy being described as deplorable and people in prison subjected to inhuman conditions.  

These reports explicitly link overcrowding and degrading conditions at Cloverhill to rising levels of inter-prisoner violence. Cells designed for three are accommodating four with one person forced to sleep on a mattress on the floor. It warns that confining four men in such conditions for 22 hours a day or more creates a breeding ground for violence and poses a serious risk to life. These risks are further exacerbated by the absence of effective risk assessment processes on admission to the prison.” 

Key Findings:  

There are some positive developments highlighted in the reports, including refurbishment of accommodation in the Mountjoy Medical Unit and improvements in education. However, both facilities were found to be severely overcrowded, operating well above capacity with people living in conditions that amount to inhuman and degrading treatment.  

Mountjoy Prison 

• People sleeping on mattresses on the floor: increased from 35 in December 2022 to 90 mattresses on the floor in December 2024 to 145 mattresses on the floor in December 2025.  

• Cells designed for three men often hold four men, sometimes with bunk beds and mattresses wedged beside in-cell toilets. 

• Conditions include broken windows, torn linoleum with protruding nails, mould, leaking toilets and sinks, inadequate lighting, poor ventilation, and extreme temperatures of 25–28°C. 

• Access to daily showers is limited—some people share five showers for 70 men and time allowed to shower has not been increased. Access to clean laundry and bedding remain inadequate. 

• Healthcare provision remains insufficient, with staff shortages across all key areas. Despite this, there has been an increase in consultant psychiatry input in Mountjoy. Cuts to staffing and limited resources are restricting access to education, work, and recreation, with serious implications for prisoners’ rehabilitation, wellbeing, and social engagement. 

Cloverhill Prison 

• People sleeping on mattresses on the floor: increased from 38 in May 2023 to 68 in December 2024.Cells designed for three often hold four, with mattresses wedged beside toilets creating a breeding ground for violence and a risk to life.  

• Overcrowded, stuffy, malodorous cells; prisoners eat meals in their cells. Out-of-cell time is extremely limited. 

• Limited access to showers, inadequate laundry, and insufficient bedding, including makeshift pillows. 

Niamh McCormack, Legal and Public Affairs Manager with IPRT said:  

“Access to medical care in prisons must be treated as a priority. Staff must be specifically allocated to support prisoners’ access to medical care, and dedicated roles established to ensure appointments and treatments are delivered efficiently. In Mountjoy for example, we saw a situation where there was a significant reduction in the number of addiction counsellors at a time of clear demand and a record prison population. Immediate attention is also needed to repair and maintain cells, showers, and bedding to meet basic standards of safety and hygiene.” 

She continued:  

“The reports also highlight persistent failures in bedding and clothing, with people left without basic items such as pillows and inadequate access to clean underwear. We are not just depriving people of liberty — we are depriving them of their dignity and humanity. Being held in such conditions, with restricted movement and limited out-of-cell time, inevitably has a serious adverse effect on health and wellbeing.” 

Urgent Calls to Action 

IPRT is calling for:  

• Immediate reduction of prison populations, through enforceable population ceilings and alternatives to custody.  

• Timely repairs and investment in basic facilities, including showers, ventilation and bedding.  

• Healthcare provision in prisons must be treated as a clear priority, with staff allocated specifically to support prisoners’ access to medical care and a dedicated healthcare support role established to ensure appointments and treatment are delivered efficiently. 

• Full implementation of all outstanding OIP recommendations to safeguard the welfare, dignity and safety of prisoners. 

Niamh McCormack, Legal and Public Affairs Manager, said: 

“It is evident that inspection reports and recommendations alone are not enough if they are left to gather dust. Immediate government action is required to reduce overcrowding, improve facilities, restore dignity, and ensure healthcare, education, and rehabilitation opportunities are prioritised for all people in custody. 

“Prison overcrowding has spiralled, with record numbers of people in prison being broken almost daily. The Minister must take urgent action to address the prison overcrowding crisis, including establishing an enforceable upper limit on the number of people in custody and introducing a Supported Bail Service to reduce the numbers held on remand. We also reiterate our call on the government to pass the Inspection of Places of Detention Bill and ratify the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture (OPCAT) as a matter of urgency, to establish fully independent and robust oversight of prisons.” 

ENDS  

NOTES FOR EDITORS:  

1. Irish Penal Reform Trust (IPRT)  www.iprt.ie  
   IPRT is Ireland's leading non-governmental organisation campaigning for the rights of everyone in prison and the progressive reform of Irish penal policy, with prison as a last resort.  

2. Prison figures: As of Wednesday 4 February 2026, Irish prisons were operating at 122 percent capacity, with 5,756 in prison custody with 512 people sleeping on mattresses on the floor.  

3. Office of the Inspector of Prisons Inspection Report Follow-up Inspection: Mountjoy Prison 28 April 2025 – 2 May 2025 found here.  

4. Office of the Inspector of Prisons Inspection Report Follow-up Inspection: Cloverhill Prison, 9 – 11 December 2024 found here.