Minister for Justice Dermot Ahern has said the Government can’t guarantee overcrowding will not continue in Mountjoy prison in the short-term.
The Minister said that over the next few months 400 new spaces will be brought on track.
However, because of the “success of Government policy” in relation to criminal justice system more and more people will be going through the system leading to overcrowding.
There have been a number of problems in the prison and yesterday a prison officer and inmate were hospitalised in the second violent incident at the jail this week.
Prison officers have frequently raised concerns about overcrowding in the Dublin prison, in which inmate Gary Douche was beaten and killed in August 2006.
Mr Ahern told RTÉ's Morning Irelandthat the long-term is solution to the problem lies with Thornton Hall but in the short-term the 400 spaces being filled by the end of September will aid the congestion.
He said 120 prisoners will go into Castlerea Prison next week, 150 prisoners will go to the new block at Portlaoise in July while at the end of September 150 will go to Wheatfield.