Inspector accuses Prison Service of impeding its work

The Inspector of Prisons has accused the Prison Service of interfering with his work by impeding access to inspect prisons.

The Inspector says in his annual report published today, that inspectors were impeded as the Prison Service attempted to impose constraints on its operational autonomy.

The Inspector’s office says it was impeded twice during an unannounced thematic inspection of the treatment of older people living in the Midlands Prison on 13 and 14 November last year, and again a few days later at the Dochas Centre on 18 November 2025.

The Chief Inspector Mark Kelly says he had to suspend the inspection and issue a statutory notice of concern to the Director General of the Prison Service.

He said he hopes what he calls “this little local difficulty” will be resolved.

The Prison Service said staff from the Inspector’s office were facilitated at all times during thematic inspections

However, the Prison Service has rejected the claim that its engagements were intended to impede operational independence or oversight activity.

It says this was a matter of safety and that it wanted “to ensure the appropriate protections were in place” for the Inspector’s staff.

The Irish Prison Service also says staff from the Office of the Inspector of Prisons were facilitated at all times during the thematic inspections, in accessing prisons, prisoners, staff, operational areas and documentation.

The Inspector has also criticised conditions in the prisons which it says are worsening and have triggered national and international concern.

He describes the overcrowding problem as “a national disgrace” as almost a tenth of those in custody do not have a bed to sleep on.

He has also criticised the Minister for Justice and accused him of failing to “grasp the nettle of resolving the crisis”.

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