Prison suicide rate rising since 1980s, Dail told

The rate of suicides in Irish prisons has soared since the late 1980s, the Dáil heard today.

The Minister for Justice, Mr McDowell said in response to a written parliamentary question from Fine Gael TD for Meath, Mr John Bruton, that there was one suicide a year on average between 1980 and 1987.

Since 1988 the number of prisoners who took their own lives varied from one death in a number of years to six in 1999, he said.

There were two apparent suicides this year, but they are pending inquests and have yet to be officially confirmed.

Mr McDowell pointed out however that the prison population has increased considerably. He said the average daily prison population in 1980 was 1,215 compared to 3,163 last year.