Can’t afford €30 bail – Why cost-of-living crisis is keeping Irish prisons overcrowded

75% of people in custody report being unemployed on committal, while more than 10% are homeless.

This unexpected consequence of the cost-of-living crisis is piling the pressure on an already overcrowded prison system. It is also costing the taxpayer significantly more than the bail amounts some defendants are unable to pay. 

The Irish Penal Reform Trust has highlighted cases where people remained on remand because they were unable to pay bail amounts as low as €30 or €50.

A defendant unable to pay their bail ultimately costs the State several thousand euro depending on how long they are in custody before their court date.

Irish Prison Service Data shows that 75% of people in custody report being unemployed on committal, while more than 10% are homeless.

Senator Lynn Ruane says the system is not fit for purpose.

"All of the evidence, in Ireland and internationally, demonstrates clear links between poverty, financial stress and increased contact with the criminal justice system," she said.

"Our prisons are severely overcrowded, and this is compounded by the fact that more than 15% of people in Irish prisons are in custody on remand. 

Many people are held on remand for minor offences, and, like the majority prison population, there is an over-representation of marginalised and vulnerable groups in custody."

"Pre-trial detention should be an absolute last resort, and the entitlement to bail must be protected as a safeguard to a person’s fundamental rights and access to justice. But our bail system must take account of the fact that the majority of people in contact with the criminal justice system come from marginalised communities, where poverty and deprivation drive survival-related offending.”

Senator Ruane confirmed that the cost-of-living crisis has made an existing problem even more acute.

"While the cost-of-living crisis exacerbates the risk of an individual’s inability to access bail, we must acknowledge that this access is already severely constrained for people who live in poverty, and this must be an area of policy focus for the Government," she said.

People held on remand have not been convicted of the offences they are accused of, but those unable to meet bail conditions can remain in custody for extended periods. 

The result is a system where financial hardship can contribute to overcrowding while creating a greater cost for the State than the bail itself.

The Irish prison population stands at a record 5,909 on March 24 this year, compared with capacity for 4,736 – a shortfall of 1,173 spaces.

In 2024, the average cost of an “available, staffed prison space” was €99,072 a 11.9% increase from the year before.
The majority of Irish prisoners have never sat a State exam and over half left school before the age of 15.