Almost 80 prisoners have absconded

Almost 80 inmates have absconded from Loughan House, the low-level security prison in Co Cavan, in the last three years. The prison has a maximum capacity of just 85.

As well as the high rate of absconding, some 186 inmates failed to return from temporary release within the allocated period, between 2000 and 2002. Mr Seymour Crawford TD (FG), who represents the Cavan-Monaghan constituency, said the rate of absconding was "simply unacceptable".

"Years ago the inmates would go and work on local farms. Then we were told that that would have to stop because of security risks, and now this. It's incredible."

While he was in favour of open prisons, he would be raising the matter with the Minister for Justice, Mr McDowell, when the Dáil resumes. Mr Paudge Connolly TD (Ind), said the abscondings showed many inmates were not suited to "a minimum security set-up".

"It is clear that something is very wrong here. Obviously the trust between prisoners and prison officers is being exploited. A lot of people say jails are like holiday camps and when you hear something like this, you might have to agree with them." Prisoner discipline showed a marked deterioration last year. During the period, 31 inmates absconded from the facility, at Blacklion, Co Cavan. Of those, 27 absconded from the institution and four escaped while being escorted.

At the end of last year, seven of the absconded inmates had not been returned to the prison, according to the annual report of the visitor committee at Loughan House. The report is presented to the Minister for Justice every year. In 2000, 21 inmates absconded, 20 from the institution itself and one while being escorted. In 2001, 24 absconded from the institution and one inmate escaped while being escorted. Of these, 12 had not returned by the end of the year.

Some 82 inmates failed to return from temporary release during the allotted time during 2002, 14 of whom were still at large at the end of the year. In 2001, 52 temporarily released inmates failed to return within the allotted time, 20 of whom had still not returned by the end of the year. And in 2000, 42 temporary release prisoners failed to return to the facility on time.

A spokesman for the Irish Prison Service said most of the inmates at Loughan House were low risk or were coming to the end of long sentences. "Anybody who is away for a period will have that time added onto their sentence," he said. While absconders were returned to Loughan House, their status was always reviewed and many had been sent back to closed institutions. He said the level of escapes from closed institutions was "virtually nil".

"We would have half-a-dozen or so cases per year where people escape while being escorted, or through a window in the bathroom of a court. But escapes from inside a facility very rarely happen."