The Government has today approved stringent new security measures and a staffing increase for the prison service in the wake of a fatal stabbing at Mountjoy Prison in Dublin.
Minister for Justice Brian Lenihan announced that he had obtained Government approval today for "significant additional staffing resources" up to a maximum of 178 posts. A drug-detection dog service wth approximately 30 staff will also be put in place, with sniffer dogs and x-ray security scanners in all prisons.
The announcement came as gardaí continued their investigation into the stabbing of Derek Glennon (24) in a row at Mountjoy yesterday evening. He died a short while later at the nearby Mater hospital.
Under the new measures, a support group will also be set up to develop expertise in searching and gathering intelligence on illicit materials being hidden in prisons, the Minister said.
This group will be available in addition to the normal prison staff and will target "specific problem areas".
Security screening with x-ray scanners and metal detectors will also be introduced for all people, including prisoners, visitors and staff, entering prisons.
And the Minister said two special segregation units would be established at Cloverhill Prison for "suspected gang leaders".
Mr Lenhihan acknowledged a "serious" security problem in prisons. He said the success of the Garda in combating criminal gangs has resulted in the imprisonment of many gang leaders and that this has led to increased inter-gang violence within the prison system.
"Despite active security measures already taken by the Irish Prison Service, there are persistent and organised attempts by such gangs to smuggle drugs, mobile phones and other illicit materials into our prisons. These items are used to manipulate and intimidate other prisoners into their groupings within prison and allow gang leaders to continue having an influence on criminal activities outside prison," Mr Lenihan said in a statement.
He said some measures had already been taken to address the problems.
"Security netting has been installed, non-contact visits are being made the norm in the new prison rules, intensive searches have been carried out in Portlaoise and other prisons, possession of a mobile phone in prison has been made a serious offence and technology to block mobile calls from within a prison is being installed on a pilot basis in the Midlands prison," he added.
"While there have been some successes it is clear that once one avenue is blocked off they will resort to other methods."
Mr Lenihan said the problem was "serious" and required a "dedicated and sustained response to ensure that it will be extremely difficult for any person to get illicit goods whether drugs, weapons, alcohol or mobile phones into a prison or to keep them hidden once inside".
"In addition two special units are being introduced to ensure that any gang leaders identified can be segregated from the main prison population so that they are not in a position to intimidate, manipulate or organise other prisoners."
Speaking on RTE's Six Onenews, Mr Lenihan said the segregation units at Cloverhill would be used for "suspected gang leaders", even where the prisoners were on remand awaiting trial.
"Can I say the most important point here...is that we stop the smuggling of items of all types, mobile phones, SIM cards, drugs, alcohol, firearms, other weapons. Any material of this type cannot be let into our prisons. And of course I accept that prison officers and prison staff have a very difficult job to do with the proliferation of mobile phone technology and with the huge drugs problem, where drugs have become a currency in our prisons. We have to stamp this out - it's as simple as that."
Director of the prison service Brian Purcell said yesterday's stabbing happened "out of the blue" and that seven prison officers were immediately on the scene. However, he said it was not possible to prevent all such attacks without locking prisoners up for 24 hours a day.