I raise with the Taoiseach the situation in our prisons. Our overcrowded prisons are after reaching crisis point. I have complaints from prison staff going back over the past year or two on this issue. The situation in the Midlands Prison in Portlaoise is like a pressure cooker. It is unsafe for staff and vulnerable prisoners. It is vastly overcrowded, operating at over 120% capacity. It has capacity for 890 inmates but the number stands at just over 1,100. Prisoners are sleeping on bunks and mattresses on the floor. There are two prisoners in a cell with a toilet and no privacy. This is leading to assaults on staff. There were 11 assaults on staff last year and 102 prisoner-to-prisoner assaults and 60 weapons seized. Assaults are up 23%. I have been told the job of staff is being made impossible and managing the situation is very difficult. There is a promise in the programme for Government for 1,500 additional places. When will we see those? When will we start using restorative justice more to divert people away from prisons and when will we see progress on those two issues?

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