The number of mental health patients being held in prisons has reached crisis levels, according to Social Democrats health spokesperson Pádraig Rice.
Deputy Rice said:
“I visited Cork Prison at the end of October and was very concerned about its conditions, especially for vulnerable prisoners experiencing severe mental health difficulties.
“The prison’s governor and staff members made it clear to me that it wasn’t the right place for those who were severely unwell – these cases require a hospital setting, not a prison.
“It’s unacceptable that psychiatric patients are being handled this way – it’s dangerous for both the patients themselves and the prison’s staff.
“People with severe mental health difficulties need to be in an appropriate facility with specialist services and supports – an overcrowded prison is not that place, and is likely to worsen their condition.
“At the end of January, figures released to me showed that there were 38 people being housed in prison while they wait for a bed in the Central Mental Hospital, Portrane – that’s a 23% increase since the end of November, a record high.
“Of those 38, 27 had been waiting more than three months, while seven had been waiting over a year – the average waiting time for a transfer from prison to the Central Mental Hospital is now almost seven months.
“The 2025 HSE National Service Plan committed to provide 18 additional beds in the Central Mental Hospital, but only two have opened – to make matters worse, there were 28 vacancies in the hospital when I inquired last month, indicating severe understaffing.
“People with mental health difficulties need to be diverted away from the prison system and into mental health services, where appropriate, but the system needs to be resourced to facilitate that.
“I’m also very concerned about the general health of the prison population and the spread of infectious diseases due to chronic overcrowding.
“The government must take immediate action which is rights- and evidence-based – we need appropriate diversion measures, urgent delivery of additional beds in the Central Mental Hospital, vacancies filled and additional multidisciplinary services to support prisons and the courts.”
February 9th, 2026