Ireland South MEP welcomes commitment to invest in much needed prison places
Ireland South MEP Cynthia Ní Mhurchú has called on the Irish Prison Service to end temporary release for violent criminals.
The MEP criticised prison authorities for releasing prisoners with charge sheets for violent crimes such as attempted murder and other violent offences.
Ní Mhurchú described figures provided to her by Irish prison authorities as truly shocking. The table below highlights that attempted murderers, burglars, violent criminals and fraudsters are being routinely afforded temporary release when they should be behind bars.
She has welcomed news from Minister Jim O’Callaghan that capital funding has been secured to progress a new prison at Thorton Hall.
According to Ní Mhurchú, temporary release should only be considered in limited circumstances for non-violent offenders, and not in the widespread way it is been implemented today.
Total number of prisoners on temporary release as of the 23rd of June 2025, their gender and their category of offence
Source: FOI – Irish Prison Service
| Offence | Female | Male | Total |
| Attempts/threat to murder, assaults, harassment and other offences | 9 | 36 | 45 |
| Dangerous or negligent acts | 3 | 16 | 19 |
| Robbery, Extortion and hijacking offences | 5 | 7 | 12 |
| Burglary and related offences | 9 | 29 | 38 |
| Theft and related offences | 54 | 71 | 125 |
| Fraud, deception and related offences | 9 | 27 | 36 |
| Controlled drug offences | 20 | 124 | 144 |
| Weapons and explosive offences | 1 | 7 | 8 |
| Damage to property and the environment | 4 | 8 | 12 |
| Public order | 3 | 14 | 17 |
| Road and traffic offences | 5 | 71 | 76 |
| Offences against government | 7 | 13 | 20 |
| Other offences | 3 | 3 | 6 |
| TOTAL | 132 | 426 | 558 |
Ní Mhurchú welcomed a focus by Minister Jim O’Callaghan on building new prison places. O’Callaghan announced an accelerated plan in June to deliver almost 1,000 additional prison spaces across the country including 150 additional spaces at Castlerea Prison, 180 new places at the Midlands Prison, and 150 more at Mountjoy Prison in Dublin. Wheatfield Prison will gain 100 additional spaces, while the Dóchas Centre, the country’s main women’s prison facility, will see an expansion of 50 spaces.
The Minister also announced in July of this year that he had secured funding of €2.180 billion under the National Development Plan for major capital projects in the Justice sector from 2026-2030. This is an increase of some €800 million on the previous NDP in 2021.
€495m is being allocated to the Irish Prison Service from 2026-2030 which will allow substantial work to commence on the development of a new prison at Thornton Hall in North County Dublin.
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