11 people are now being treated in hospital following a drug overdose incident in Portlaoise Prison.
Three inmates are in critical care, with the other eight in a serious condition at Midlands Regional Hospital Portlaoise.
It's believed they took a synthetic opioid, after a quantity of white powder was discovered in the prison's C Wing.
Saoirse Brady, Executive Director of the Irish Penal Reform Trust, says overcrowding is contributing to drug issues in prisons:
"We have more than 5,000 people in prison for the first time, and that is putting huge amounts of pressure on an already overstretched service. There is a huge pressure point there for the prison system, because they're not used to dealing with this number of people in prison, and it puts huge amounts of pressure on their staff as well"
