WHAT'S ON CELLY
TV service for lags cost taxpayers nearly €320,000 as Irish prison service defend costs
- 7:00, 4 Apr 2022
TV service for lags cost Irish taxpayers nearly €320,000 last year.
And the Irish Prison Service has defended the six-figure bill for in-cell sets and access to premium channels like Sky Sports.
Prison chiefs say regular access to TVs in jails plays a key role in bringing down cases of self-harm and suicide and makes the nation’s prisons safer for both inmates and staff.
IPS said the expenditure has been more vital over the past two years, as Covid-related rulings resulted in curbs on visitor numbers and prisoners spending more time in their cells.
An IPS spokesperson said: “The incidents of self-harm and suicide in prisons have been dramatically reduced since the introduction of televisions in prisons a number of years ago.
“It also makes a safer working environment for staff.
“They have been even more critical during Covid-19.”
Data released under the Freedom of Information Act reveals a total of 1,493 TVs were supplied to the State’s prisons in 2021, with each set costing €130.
Of those, 400 sets were delivered to Mountjoy Prison and 222 sent to Cloverhill.
A total of €244,893.81 was spent last year on TVs - including the supply of sets for communal areas.
Separately, multi-channel services, including Netflix in all prisons, cost €74,230.05 in 2021.