The cost of jailing some of Ireland’s most notorious prisoners – including Brian Rattigan and the three Dundon brothers – increased last year by more than €2,000 to €97,824 per prisoner.
According to figures provided by the Irish Prison Service (IPS), the cost of jailing prisoners at the country’s only high-security prison at Portlaoise last year cost the taxpayer €1,881 per prisoner a week.
The cost is 43.5 per cent more than the €68,148 cost of jailing prisoners at Ireland’s closed prisoners, such as Mountjoy, Limerick and Cork. And it is more than double the €42,657 cost per prisoner at the prison service’s open prisons, such as Shelton Abbey.
The €97,824 cost per prisoner at Portlaoise is €2,006 more than the €95,818 cost per prisoner at Portlaoise in 2014, and higher again than the €94,575 cost in 2013.
Cost per space
A spokesman for the Irish Prison Service yesterday explained the reason behind the increased cost per space.
“The reason for the increase is simple, the daily average population in Portlaoise in 2014 was 246 and for 2015 was 218. Our fixed costs account for approximately 75 per cent of the costs for housing an inmate in Portlaoise.
“The less prisoners we have in custody, the higher the cost appears of keeping them as our fixed cost remain static, within reason, from year to year.”
The cost of running Portlaoise last year totalled €21.32 million while the numbers jailed at Portlaoise have dropped further with the latest IPS figures showing that 193 are currently being accommodated in the prison.
Portlaoise prison has a bed capacity of 291.
The high cost per prisoner arises from Portlaoise being the State’s only maximum security jail. The Army is on site 365 days a year to deter any prison escapes. However, the Army declined to state how much it costs per annum to patrol the prison.
The high costs also arise from the prison service paying for the cost of transporting specially ordered foods for republican prisoners at the prison.
The republican prisoners enjoy a relaxed regime compared to other prisoners across the Irish prison system.
This includes republicans being able to order smoked salmon, Ben & Jerry’s ice cream, Glenisk organic yogurt, Camembert cheese, Magnum ice cream and Green & Black’s chocolate from local shops.
This is made possible by the prison service having a so-called “town van” to transport the food orders from food outlets around Portlaoise town. The prisoners pay for the food themselves.
The republican prisoners also get to enjoy the use of a gym on each of their four wings in their part of the prison, as do the Dundon brothers in their wing. Republican prisoners also conduct a military-style call to order each day that prison officers don’t interfere with, while they have been able to daub prison walls with republican murals.
Wizard of Oz
All three Dundons are housed in Portlaoise and are currently serving life sentences for murder, with gang boss Wayne Dundon (38) convicted of the murder of Limerick businessman Roy Collins.
The 35-year-old father of two was shot dead as he worked in the family business in Limerick on April 9th, 2009.
John Dundon, (33), is serving life for the murder of Shane Geoghegan, shot dead in a case of mistaken identity in November 2008.
Dessie Dundon, (32), is serving life for the murder of rival crime boss Kieran Keane in January 2002.
Brian Rattigan is serving a 2009 life sentence for the murder of 21-year-old Declan Gavin and a separate 17-year prison term for heroin dealing from prison – to run concurrently.
A court has heard that Rattigan had been at the forefront of acting at the last two prison Christmas pantomime productions of the Wizard of Oz and Cinderella.
