The Inspector of Prisons says he has been "sounding the alarm" on the record levels of overcrowding in jails since he took office two years ago
At the end of June the number of inmates in the country's prisons passed the 5,000 mark for the first time ever - that's nearly 500 over capacity
Concern is now being expressed the levels of overcrowding could led to a violent outburst
Gabriel Keavney of the Irish Prison Officers Association told RedFM News they their fears around overcrowding are going unheard
"We have over five thousand prisoners in the system at the moment, a record level, and over five hundred prisoners out on temporary release. It's completely unsustainable. We've warned the Minister about this meeting after meeting, we've warned the Irish Prison Service, and it appears nobody is listening to ourselves or the Inspector of Prisons, unfortunately"
