The incident in the Dóchas women’s prison in Dublin during Storm Agnes in September 2023. Photograph: Dara Mac DónaillPrison inspectors say they witnessed groups of women inmates locked outside during a severe storm, with staff refusing to let them seek shelter indoors. All OIP reports can only be released after being cleared by the Government. During Storm Agnes, inspectors observed women huddled in doors to avoid the wind and rain while “prison officers ignored their pleas and instead remained upstairs”. The Irish Penal Reform Trust (IPRT) expressed “grave concern at the OIP’s findings and said prison conditions have only deteriorated further since the inspections were carried out.

Source: The Irish Times January 16, 2026 07:02 UTC