Lack of clarity over budget funding for addiction and mental health supports in prisons

10th October 2025

This article highlights ongoing uncertainty over government funding for addiction and mental-health supports in Irish prisons, despite severe demand and long waiting lists.

The Irish Prison Service has to have some flexibility in how it uses its money, says Saoirse Brady, executive director of the Irish Penal Reform Trust (IPRT). “We don’t know if there’s been an increase particularly for addiction services.” She noted that the Irish Prison Service has twice failed to secure a contractor to carry out a mental-health needs assessment, likely due to limited funding and renewed IPRT’s call for €1 million in Budget 2026 to fund that essential study.

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