The Prison Officers' Association (POA) has said the use of mobile phones in prisons could be eradicated tomorrow if there was a will to do so.
Eugene Dennehy, deputy general secretary of the association, said technology was available which could block out mobile phone signals inside the prisons.
He was speaking after prison officers recovered 17 mobile phones, 11 phone chargers, eight batteries, five sim cards, drugs, syringes, home-made alcohol and two budgies during a two-day search of Portlaoise Prison.
"The technology would make mobile phones inoperable and their use could be stopped in the morning if management wished to stop it."
Mr Dennehy said clear policies and directions were needed from management in the detection and confiscation of phones.
He questioned the reasoning behind an announcement from the Irish Prison Service that it was introducing metal detectors.
"They are talking as though they've just invented the wheel. Metal detectors have been in some of our prisons for up to 20 years."
The prison service has also said prisoners in Portlaoise found with mobile phones could have up to five years added to their sentences.
The searches at Portlaoise were ordered by Minister for Justice Michael McDowell following a call from armed robber John Daly, an inmate, on a mobile phone from his cell to RTÉ's Liveline last week.
Fine Gael justice spokesman Jim O'Keeffe said the searches revealed the extent of the smuggling problem inside prisons.
"The evidence has been there for years . . . yet the Minister has only now decided to take action, and only in one prison. The Government has turned a blind eye while running down essential rehabilitation and education programmes."
Mr McDowell said the real issue was whether Portlaoise Prison was being managed properly.
"There has to be personal accountability and the new governor, who I have full confidence in, has done a massive sweep of the prison and has accumulated a fair amount of contraband material. There was never a blind eye turned to this at official level, and if there was at a lower level in the organisation someone has to be personally accountable."
