Prison suicide victim tried before

An internal inquiry has been launched at Wheatfield Prison in Dublin into the suicide of a prisoner in the early hours of yesterday morning.

The prisoner, who had attempted to kill himself twice before, was found hanging in his cell at 5.25 a.m. by prison staff. He had hung a makeshift noose made of bedclothes from holes he had bored in his cell's ceiling.

The Garda and the suicide prevention group at the prison will launch parallel inquiries into the man's death. There will also be a full coroner's inquest.

A statement from the Prison Service said the man "had a history of self-harm in the prison system" and was "under special observations". He had been checked by prison staff at 5 a.m. at which point "everything appeared to be normal" according to a prison spokesman. The man was taken directly to Tallaght Hospital, but was pronounced dead shortly after arrival.

The dead man was serving a number of sentences totalling three years and four months and was remanded on further charges. Less than a month ago, he escaped from a cell in Cork District Court. He was returned to custody eight days later facing new charges.

The director general of the prison extended his sympathy to the family of the prisoner.

The suicide was raised in the Dail by the Fine Gael spokesman on justice, Mr Jim Higgins, who asked why the Prison Services Bill had been delayed. The Tanaiste, Ms Harney, said she regretted the delay.

"I think even if you have an independent prison service, unfortunately tragedies of this kind will probably still occur", Ms Harney told the house.

The Irish Penal Reform Trust called on the Minister for Justice to ensure that psychological and psychiatric services in prisons "are of the highest standards".