More than 800 Irish prisoners in jails overseas should be entitled to a hardship allowance to help them afford basics such as food, phone calls and clothes, according to a report commissioned by the Government.
The Report on Irish Prisoners Abroad by former minister of state Chris Flood makes a number of recommendations aimed at improving consular services for citizens in foreign jails.
Mr Flood said while the State provided a good support service, significant improvements could be made across a range of areas.
The latest official estimate for the number of Irish prisoners abroad is 800.
However the real figure could be as high as 1,200 as many people imprisoned would have chosen not to contact Irish authorities, Mr Flood said.
Most Irish prisoners abroad are based in Britain (708), followed by the US (28) and Spain (14).
Increased wealth and access to foreign travel has meant that Irish citizens are more likely to be detained in more distant countries such as Venezuela, Cuba, Guatemala and Bolivia.
Mr Flood's report, which was published yesterday, makes the following recommendations:
Ensuring every prisoner is entitled to a consular visit at least once a year, or more often in difficult environments;
Establishing a prisoner unit within the Department of Foreign Affairs to allow for a more coherent approach to the welfare of prisoners abroad;
Improving records of prisoners abroad with a new comprehensive database, and
Introducing treaties with countries in South America and elsewhere to facilitate repatriation of Irish nationals.
On recommendations for a hardship allowance, Mr Flood said many European countries provided direct financial support for their citizens, such as Spain, which provided a monthly allowance of €100 to prisoners overseas.
Ireland is one of a handful of European countries which does not provide direct financial assistance, although it has provided the Irish Commission for Prisoners Overseas with €900,000 over the last five years.
Minister for Foreign Affairs Dermot Ahern said he was "sympathetic" to the idea of a hardship fund, although he pointed out that the department made a number of ex-gratia payments on a case-by-case basis.
"We'd have to do it [ establish a hardship fund] in a very limited way, provided we were happy there was an urgent need for it," Mr Ahern said.
The rights of international prisoners to consular assistance are enshrined in international law.
Irish embassies provide a range of services such as a list of English-speaking lawyers to those arrested, visiting prisoners where possible and acting as a channel of communication between prisoners and their families.
Mr Ahern said: "In providing assistance to prisoners we don't in any way condone criminality or wrong-doing.
If Irish people commit crimes abroad, they must face the consequences, but we have an obligation to ensure they are not discriminated against on the basis that they are foreigners."
He also emphasised the importance to holidaymakers of obtaining travel insurance before undertaking any journey abroad and to make themselves aware of the location of the nearest Irish embassy or consulate.
If an Irish citizen was taking a journey in a very remote location, he advised them to give their contact details and travel plans to their nearest embassy.
