Inmates at Mountjoy Prison are still getting their hands on drugs.
That’s according to a new report published today, which recommends tighter security measures should be put in place.
Prison authorities have made it harder for smugglers, but the new report has found that considerable amounts of drugs are still getting in.
It recommends a higher priority be given to stopping the drugs flowing in and preventing prisoners from getting their hands on them if they do.
The Irish Prison Service says it has identified a number of entry routes and is working on better ways of screening visitors.
However Joan Byrne, who is with Citywide Drugs Crisis Campaign, believes they should be more focused on the root of the problem itself:
"If you want to change the situation in prison then you have got to put the resources in there, to help people become drug-free, stay drug-free, and stay safe in doing that."
Today's report also acknowledged an “immense” improvement in the standard of accommodation at Mountjoy and the progress of its building programme which will transform the prison into a more modern, safer facility.
